Today’s fall weather is an anomaly, and we all know the long walk up Central Avenue from Beach Drive to the Edge District is a pain in the ass, so it’s with open arms we welcome the arrival of St. Petersburg’s new e-scooter fleet.
Today, Mayor Rick Kriseman—whose city government approved the scooters in October—took the first ride along the Pinellas Trail with stops at Park & Rec and the St. Petersburg Police Station. A press release says that, “Partner companies Razor and VeoRide will be begin rolling out approximately 250 e-scooters into the downtown core.”
“Riders can download the smartphone app for both Razor and VeoRide to locate scooters that are available for rent, find parking corral locations, and to set up their account,” the release added.
Last fall City Council voted 6-1 to allow the e-scooters, but St. Pete has strict rules surrounding their use.
Per usual, the e-scooters will have geofences to prevent riders from entering prohibited areas, and when parking the scooter riders will have to make sure they're not blocking building entrances or pedestrian walkways, with the city providing designated corrals for the scooters (one for every block downtown, with as many as 180 areas around the city).
But St. Pete’s scooters also have a 10 p.m. curfew, so no getting drunk at first Friday then riding the scooter home at midnight. There will also be punishments for breaking these rules, such as small fines and potential bans from using the apps that regulate the e-scooters.
If you’re scared of riding one, the city is hosting a socially-distanced e-scooter demo at the Al Lang Field parking lot on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m.
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