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You thought the summer of scooters was over? Think again. It may be October, but as of Wednesday another 350 electric scooters deployed in Denver—this time from Razor, the company best known for its kick scooters. Razor’s red-and-black fleet joins three other companies (Lime, Bird, and Lyft) operating similar services in the Mile High City, bringing the total number of electric scooters to 1,400.
As part of Denver’s Dockless Mobility Pilot Permit Program, Razor launched 100 scooters on Tuesday and an additional 250 on Wednesday. Riders can access the Razor scooters via the company’s app; it costs $1 to activate a Razor and an additional 15 cents per minute, according to a company spokesperson.
That's only $1 per issue!
Bird, one of the first companies to launch in Denver last spring (and one of the first, along with Lime, to be temporarily kicked out of the city) also unveiled two new services on Thursday. With Bird Delivery, as the company calls it, users can request a scooter and have it delivered to them in the morning and ride it all day, though there is currently a waitlist for the product. The company also announced Bird Zero, a “rugged” scooter with durable chassis that was designed for long-lasting everyday use. A Bird spokesperson could confirm neither the cost of these services nor when they would be available in Denver.
As more scooters hit Denver’s streets, the future of the new transportation mode is still unclear. The pilot program runs through next July, and Denver Public Works (DPW) has been gathering feedback from the public over the past several months about the scooters’ impact in the city. “Some people love [scooters] and think it’s a fun new way to get around,” says Heather Burke, public information specialist for DPW. “And then there are people who are not so crazy about it, specifically with people riding on the sidewalk. We’re currently navigating local and state laws to see if we can find a better place for electric scooters.” Electric scooters are currently classified as “toy vehicles,” and Burke says the city is considering whether it needs to change the ordinance to allow scooters to ride in bike lanes.
Another company, Spin, has yet to launch its fleet in Denver, but when it does there will be 1,750 scooters on Denver’s sidewalks, capping the one-year pilot program, Burke says.
Love ’em or hate ’em, we’re afraid to say these damn scooters are here to stay… at least until next summer.
