Rules For Riding An E-Scooter In St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — E-scooters in St. Petersburg are providing a fun way to get around the city, but it's also causing frustrations for residents.

Many people have expressed concern to Mayor Rick Kriseman about the lack of safety they've observed from riders. Complaints range from folks riding scooters on sidewalks, zipping in and out of traffic, two people riding on a scooter and not looking both ways before they cross the street.

The city of St. Pete said it would like to see riders obeying traffic laws and riding safely. To help achieve that, the city has highlighted rules and tips for riders listed below:

• Ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Ride in bike lanes or only in streets with 30 mph speed limit.
• Do not ride on sidewalks.
• Always ride with your driver's license or photo I.D.
• Yield to pedestrians and use hand signals when turning.
• Wear a helmet.
• One rider per e-scooter.
• Park e-scooters in designated corrals.

The city told Patch that its transportation team said it will eventually start to write tickets to those who drive unsafely, but first they want to give riders a chance to become educated on safely driving a scooter in the St. Pete area. Returning the scooters to the designated corrals is highly encouraged by the city also.