The City of Boulder, CO recently rounded up their first year in a pilot program for shared electric scooter riding. The Cities questionnaire sent out to users and reports from the past year state that riders traveled over 117,700 miles which is over 26,000 lbs in greenhouse gas savings.
One of the common issues people ran into over the year were improperly parked e-scooters. Ensuring they aren't obstructing pathways is imperative both for pedestrians and other riders. GOTRAX provides electric scooters to own for commuting, personal use and more. People will take better care of their own property over something they are renting momentarily.
The next steps for an extension to the program and regulating e-scooter use is supporting infrastructure and laws to promote rider safety. This can include more dedicated and protected bike lines that have some kind of barrier between the riders and the drivers. Furthermore, it comes into the hands of those using electric scooters to wear the appropriate safety equipment while riding which at a minimum should be a helmet.
Finally, Boulder Residents discuss the need for equitability and accessibility to all those who may need a quick ride. This can include extending operating hours and subsidizing membership fees for lower income areas. Thus, everyone has a fair chance at affordable, eco-friendly travel.
Towards the end of their announcement, the City of Boulder's website states, "Staff will begin program formalization based on the findings from the evaluation and community, stakeholder, and elected official feedback." Which hopefully means more electric scooter and e-bike riding to come.
Ride together. Ride GOTRAX!
