Scooters – The Next Mobility Wave

Electric GPS-enabled scooter and bicycle rental companies like Bird, LimeBike, Spin and Jump Bike (acquired by Uber) are spreading across major U.S. cities like San Francisco, San Diego, Austin, and Washington, DC, driven by an influx of investment from venture capital focused on innovative mobility ideas. They are met with enthusiasm by some riders who can easily find a scooter or bike using an app on their phone, unlock it by scanning a code on the handle, and off they go. Cities and municipalities, however, are cautious to embrace the new technology (sound familiar?), citing a host of problems, including pedestrian injuries, people riding on sidewalks, riders not wearing helmets and unused scooters blocking walkways and critical access to curb space.