Electric Scooter Pilot To Include Another Company In Brookline

BROOKLINE, MA — There's another e-scooter company in town. Spin will add to the likes of Lime and Bird to a street near you in the coming weeks.

"They have a history of being very responsive as a company," said Transportation Administrator Todd Kirrane. They also have a unique business model, he said, noting they use their own staff rather than contractors as with the other companies. The company has also been working on finding solutions to many of the problems community members in Brookline have raised.

"The issues are not unique to Brookline," said Ashley Brown of Spin. The company's first step is to continue local hiring.

"Then we want to work with the town to identify deployment zones and think about solutions and be a great partner and execute the recommendations as presented by the transportation director," she said.

Brown said the company would likely start small and beta test, before school comes back after feedback again. "We're excited to be here," she told Patch.

The company applied back in March, but the town wanted to vet them similar to Bird and Lime, which the town had been working with for months. There are 300 scooters on the road right now, and Spin adds 100 more e-scooters to start with the ability to add more later.

"Adding Spin to the program ... would be a big, big improvement to the company, to provide another company to provide different capabilities and better capabilities," said Greene.

How's the Brookline Pilot going so far?

Almost four months through an eighth month pilot program that started in April, the two e-scooter companies Bird and Lime have logged a combined 29,000 riders in Brookline. That's 29 percent of the population and 76,500 rides, according to Transportation Administrator Todd Kirrane.

"We have seen evidence and talked to some US postal service employees that they're using e-scooters," said Kirrane. And according to Bird data some 20 percent of riders said they used the scooters to get to public transportation.

The pilot program, which started with e-scooter company Lime and Bird, and may include a third company shortly, began in April and will run into November. It was lauded in the lead up to the launch as the first pilot program of its kind in the state.

Proponents say they're an affordable way to get around, provide a solution to people who are a mile away from public transportation, and are environmentally friendly. Bird did a community survey end of May and found that 73 percent of respondents were using it to commute, as opposed to fun. Some 21 percent said they would have driven a car if an e-scooter wasn't available.

Electric scooters are powered exclusively by an electric motor and in Brookline companies are required to cap the maximum speed at 15 MPH. The scooters all have front and rear and brake lights. There have been two crashes involving a scooter and a car and four crashes involving just the scooters.

But it hasn't been without its critics.

A number of residents have bemoaned rule-breaking they've seen, including children riding the scooters, although you must be 18 to ride them. People opposed to the scooters also say they've seen multiple people riding on the side walk or without helmets, which is also against the regulations. Others complain that some people leave scooters in the middle, rather to the side, of the sidewalk, thereby making it difficult for pedestrians in some spots.

Kirrane had several recommendations for the program based on feedback his office received from the public, including implementing more enforcement of rules by having the police department hire a full time bike/e-scooter enforcement and education officer.

Kirrane said the transportation staff met with Brookline Schools, drafted a letter informing parents outlining that underage children were not permitted to ride scooters. Some parents replied saying they trusted their 16-year-olds to jump on a scooter to go to after school activities.

Select woman Nancy Heller was concerned with finding a way to solve underage riding.

"Convenience has to come secondary to public safety," she agreed.

The transportation staff also recommends a no ride, no parking zone and using geo fencing around areas where bicycles are banned, such as park sanctuaries. And a no parking zone near senior centers. It also recommended allowing users to rate the parking job of the previous e-scooter user, and a follow up with people who have gotten negative scores. Another possibility a three-strike policy and having companies penalize users who habitually receive negative feedback on parking, via a fine or suspension.

One parking solution he said was a digital corral in busy sidewalk areas.

The recommendations will go into affect shortly, said Kirrane.

Previously:

• Electric Scooter Pilot To Start In Brookline
• Rider Injured As E-Scooters Launch In Massachusetts
• E-scooter diary: Brookline should set the standard for safety
• As Complaints Mount, Scooter Lessons At Coolidge Corner

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).