Boise could see pilot program for 3-wheel scooters, over a year after it was floated
It’s not uncommon to see people zipping around on two-wheel electric scooters in downtown Boise and on the Greenbelt. A new three-wheel, self-parking e-scooter could be hitting Boise streets in just a few months.
E-scooter company Spin, owned by Ford, has been looking to test its S-200 — a model that can travel remotely to a rider — in Boise for more than a year. City officials told the Boise City Council on Tuesday that they are close to making that pilot program a reality.
When the concept was announced in February 2021, the company had planned to test 300 scooters in Boise. It’s not clear whether that number has changed.
“We’ll be the first (city) to get the complete device,” said Bre Brush, Mayor Lauren McLean’s transportation adviser.
Before the pilot project can start, the council must approve amendments to city code that would allow the operation of three-wheeled scooters in certain areas of the city. Only those with two wheels are currently allowed.
Spin’s two-wheel scooters, which have had a presence in Boise, largely resemble those operated by Bird and Lime, which appeared on streets in 2018. The two key differences with this version are their three-wheel design and the parking ability, which allows remote operators to reposition the scooters if parked improperly.
Brush said this new model solves a big problem.
“These were created to solve issues that cities like us have with them blocking sidewalks (and) business entrances,” Brush said.
Brush said the pilot program would take place over seven phases, but didn’t provide details on what each phase entails. She did say that Spin staff would be on hand to observe each phase.
The city passed an ordinance in 2019 developing rules governing where, when and how riders could operate scooters around Boise, including speed limits and having only one person ride at a time. These rules stemmed from multiple instances of e-scooter crashes, some resulting in serious injury. Boise has seen crashes and accidents since the arrival of scooters, some of which involved rule violations.
The three-wheel scooters would be deployed in a large section of downtown, according to a map shown to council members Tuesday: Myrtle Street to the south, West Fort Street to the north, North 11th Street to the west and Avenue B to the east.
A vote on the pilot program and code changes for e-scooters is expected in the coming weeks.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 8:28 PM.
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