Electric Scooters

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
talindsay
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1533
Joined: September 29th, 2012, 10:41 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby talindsay » June 3rd, 2019, 2:58 pm

As a runner I can tell you there's more than enough of them lying around to block the running paths.

billhelm
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 175
Joined: June 1st, 2012, 10:59 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby billhelm » June 3rd, 2019, 4:42 pm

i rode one at open streets for the first time, but i'm not sure i'd do one in traffic.

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trkaiser
Landmark Center
Posts: 259
Joined: June 1st, 2012, 9:05 am
Location: Northeast Minneapolis
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Re: Electric Scooters

Postby trkaiser » June 3rd, 2019, 5:13 pm

Currently near Music Row in Nashville. No exaggeration, there must be more than 75 of these (Birds and Lime) within the four blocks closest to my hotel. I didn't realize the scale of usage outside of MPLS.

grant1simons2
IDS Center
Posts: 4371
Joined: February 8th, 2014, 11:33 pm
Location: Marcy-Holmes

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby grant1simons2 » June 3rd, 2019, 5:19 pm

As a runner I can tell you there's more than enough of them lying around to block the running paths.
A protected class

John21
Rice Park
Posts: 449
Joined: June 8th, 2012, 8:23 am
Location: 38th Street Station

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby John21 » June 3rd, 2019, 7:24 pm

We need electric scooters to bridge the gap between dockless bikes.

karlshea
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 132
Joined: July 14th, 2014, 10:28 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby karlshea » June 3rd, 2019, 10:44 pm

Same experience. I've been able to snag near-ish (4 blocks out of my way) to the Green Line, but they can't be relied on at all. I'd ride them much more often if there were any within a mile. Just from looking at the map there's never more than like a dozen in all of downtown.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4646
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Anondson » June 4th, 2019, 7:03 am


xandrex
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1384
Joined: January 30th, 2013, 11:14 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby xandrex » June 4th, 2019, 9:17 am

I was wondering why I've seen so few scooters this season, including none from Jump at all.

I've still only used a scooter once (just for a few blocks, because it happened to be sitting near my house). The consistency with which they're available is just...not good.

twinkess
Target Field
Posts: 543
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:46 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby twinkess » June 4th, 2019, 1:29 pm

As a runner I can tell you there's more than enough of them lying around to block the running paths.
A protected class
It is actually pretty dangerous. Gold Medal Park is nearly overrun with people riding them on the sidewalks and on the grass(!). Saw one toddler almost get knocked over.

Bob Stinson's Ghost
Landmark Center
Posts: 264
Joined: January 20th, 2018, 11:36 pm

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Bob Stinson's Ghost » June 4th, 2019, 4:36 pm

i rode one at open streets for the first time, but i'm not sure i'd do one in traffic.
Too fast for the sidewalk, too slow for the street. When I see them I'm often reminded of what Steve Jobs said about the Segway when it was introduced: "people will build cities around these!" Or at least make the sidewalks a foot wider, if that's the main place people want to ride and park them.

EOst
Capella Tower
Posts: 2424
Joined: March 19th, 2014, 8:05 pm
Location: Saint Paul

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby EOst » June 4th, 2019, 6:27 pm

Do people scooter in the protected bike lanes on Washington? Or are they on the sidewalk there? What do people do on Nicollet?

Silophant
Moderator
Posts: 4471
Joined: June 20th, 2012, 4:33 pm
Location: Whimsical NE

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Silophant » June 4th, 2019, 6:47 pm

My experience is that people mostly scooter in the bike lanes on Washington, and in the road on Nicollet.
Joey Senkyr
[email protected]

twinkess
Target Field
Posts: 543
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:46 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby twinkess » June 5th, 2019, 12:41 pm

Nicollet is better than most, although you still get a significant percentage on the sidewalk (maybe 1 in 4 or similar to bicycles on the sidewalk). Most other places it's more like 50/50.

In 10 minutes in Gold Medal Park I saw 7 or 8, all on the sidewalk, including a group of six riding up the spiral hill path. Ironically all riding the orange ones with a giant "don't ride on sidewalk" sticker on the board.

SurlyLHT
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1262
Joined: February 21st, 2017, 3:50 pm

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby SurlyLHT » June 6th, 2019, 6:48 am

I like that the scooters often use the bike lane, more people in the bike lanes whether biking or scooting helps legitimize them and gets buy-in. Too many of our bike lanes are not often used.

Bob Stinson's Ghost
Landmark Center
Posts: 264
Joined: January 20th, 2018, 11:36 pm

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Bob Stinson's Ghost » June 6th, 2019, 8:02 am

During the recent open street event I was walking up Garfield to save time getting home and saw a pair parked diagonally on the sidewalk leaving less than a foot on either side. Hated 'em. A few minutes later a couple zipped past me at full speed with an inch to spare. Hated 'em again.

Two days later saw three very happy LatinX folks zipping west on the Greenway. Loved 'em.

Didier
Capella Tower
Posts: 2511
Joined: June 3rd, 2012, 10:11 am
Location: MSP

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Didier » June 6th, 2019, 12:39 pm

Somebody parked two electric scooters in the boulevard in front of my house this morning, which stressed me out because 1) why did they park in front of my house? and 2) how long were they going to sit in front of my house in the middle of a random residential block in South Minneapolis? But then my dog and I just watched as some dude came and picked up the second one, so now they're gone.

xandrex
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1384
Joined: January 30th, 2013, 11:14 am

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby xandrex » June 6th, 2019, 3:17 pm

Scooters don't seem to sit in any location for very long. I'm on a pretty quiet street, but there's someone on the block who rides one home from work from time to time. It's gone within the hour.

Multimodal
US Bank Plaza
Posts: 725
Joined: March 4th, 2016, 7:55 am
Location: Oh, no, the burbs!

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Multimodal » June 10th, 2019, 9:02 am

With no way to rent a scooter without giving your phone number (every time?!) or linking to Facebook, I haven’t had the opportunity to try them. On a nice day in downtown Mpls, though, I saw lots of users on Nicollet Mall.

Silophant
Moderator
Posts: 4471
Joined: June 20th, 2012, 4:33 pm
Location: Whimsical NE

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Silophant » June 10th, 2019, 11:57 am

Every time? You have to give it when you create an account, sure, but you don't have to keep entering your phone number after that.
Joey Senkyr
[email protected]

Multimodal
US Bank Plaza
Posts: 725
Joined: March 4th, 2016, 7:55 am
Location: Oh, no, the burbs!

Re: Electric Scooters

Postby Multimodal » June 10th, 2019, 12:05 pm

It always wants my phone number to send me a code. Maybe I’m using it wrong.


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