After several months of working out details, Fort Collins and Colorado State University are in the process of finalizing a contract with a single e-scooter company for a one-year pilot program in Fort Collins. These scooters add a whole new way to commute and take in the sights, in over 100 cities they have popped up in across North America and are expected to arrive here in Fort Collins the week of October 14th!
According to the article from the Coloradoan on 9/23/2019, Fort Collins and Colorado State University have been working for several months on the launch of the scooters. The city’s goal is to get ahead of the “e-scooter trend” and establish regulations before they show up, as they have in numerous cities in Colorado, to avoid potential conflicts, FC Moves manager Paul Sizemore has said.
Renting and riding these scooters is easy and fun. First, the rider locates an available scooter, and usually the downloaded smartphone app will include a map to help you locate one or verify the one you found is available to rent. The app will also collect payment information, verify cost of the rental and some companies will require a rider to scan their driver’s license before it will release the scooter for use. The GPS technology in the scooters will alert riders if they are nearing a dismount zone, for example in parts of Old Town Fort Collins and parts of CSU. If the rider ignores the alert, the scooter will slowly come to a stop. Typical cost to rent an e-scooter is $1.00 to start your ride and .25-.30 cents each minute after that. According to Amanda Mansfield, transportation planner in Fort Collins, the average e-scooter trip is roughly 1.5 miles and less than 10 minutes. When done riding, you simply park the scooter anywhere approved, usually at or nearby bike parking, then go to the app and click finish ride.
Here are somethings you need to know before renting an e-scooter in Fort Collins:
- Electric scooters will not be allowed on Natural Area and Park Trails
- Must be dismounted at crosswalks
- Will be subject to strict parking rules (can’t block entrances, fire hydrants, bus benches or be in way of pedestrians)
- Dismount zones will include: Old Town Fort Collins, parts of CSU, possibly Linden Street and The Exchange on North College.
- Will be available from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. in summer and 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the winter
Although there has been a lot of debate over the e-scooters in Colorado over the past few months, especially in the Denver area, e-scooters can be a fun, economical, an environmentally friendly alternative for the local commuter and a cool twist to a day exploring what this amazing city has to offer. Stay tuned for the next scooter update!