蜜柚直播

As of Oct. 10, nearly 37,000 trips have been taken on both Razor and Bird scooters, averaging almost 1,300 rides a day, according to Andy Bemis, 蜜柚直播 Department of Transportation鈥檚 Bicycle and Pedestrian program coordinator.

鈥淚鈥檓 very encouraged by the ridership figures,鈥� Bemis said. 鈥淔or us, that is a clear indication there鈥檚 a demand for short trips on e-scooters in 蜜柚直播.鈥�

The two scooter companies initially started out with 100 scooters at the launch in early September.

Since then, each company has upped that number to more than 400 each.

The max for a single company is 500, with another 250 possible in areas of high need.

Around 60% of riders have taken trips in the downtown area, including Fourth Avenue, Bemis said. Most others were spotted in the midtown area.

Along with each of those downtown trips has brought an adjustment period for people in the area, including store owners and their employees.

鈥淭he corners of the streets where they meet, that鈥檚 where all of them kind of get left, they huddle up there,鈥� said Roxanne Rodriguez about the scooters close to her workplace, Chic Boutique and Spa, near East Congress Street and North Stone Avenue.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty cool, other than parking right in front of stores.鈥�

The same wasn鈥檛 felt by Ben Busarow, a Jimmy John鈥檚 employee, who frequently sees delivery people heading out the store doors just east of Chic Boutique.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen three of them parked right on the entrance from the crosswalk onto the sidewalk, that little ramp there, it鈥檚 just a nuisance really,鈥� Busarow said.

But employees haven鈥檛 needed to remove them off store property, Busarow added.

鈥淢ost people have the sense not to lay it right up against (the building.) It鈥檚 really not posing a super serious problem, they鈥檙e just in the way and you have to go around it where you didn鈥檛 have to before.鈥�

Since launch, the transportation department has received 36 calls about the scooters, which have been a mix between frequently asked questions and complaints around improper use, Bemis said.

鈥淭he primary complaints we鈥檝e been getting have to do with sidewalk riding and improper parking,鈥� Bemis said. 鈥淪o, those are the concerns that we鈥檙e going to try and find ways to address moving forward by educating people better about where they鈥檙e meant to ride.鈥�

There have also been no 鈥渕ajor injuries reported to us regarding scooters,鈥� said Officer Frank Magos, a 蜜柚直播 Police Department spokesman.

The city鈥檚 transportation department plans on establishing an online platform by next week to determine how long the scooters have been idle and improperly parked in thoroughfares. It鈥檒l give a better understanding of the companies鈥� compliance to the rules, Bemis said.

It may also decrease the number of inaccurate complaints from residents who believe a scooter has been improperly parked.

鈥淭he language in the permit says they must be parked to provide at least 4 feet of clear space for pedestrian flow if it鈥檚 left on a sidewalk,鈥� Bemis said. 鈥淪o sometimes I鈥檒l get a photo from someone of a scooter on a sidewalk, but actually it鈥檚 a wide sidewalk and there鈥檚 plenty of space on either side so it鈥檚 not technically illegally parked.鈥�

TDOT officials hope a survey later this year will help get additional feedback from the community about the scooters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see so many trips, if they鈥檙e mostly replacing walking trips that鈥檚 a different impact on our community than if they鈥檙e mostly replacing driving trips,鈥� Bemis said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e interested in trying to replace more driving trips.鈥�