PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The City of St. Pete will soon be adding 900 new electric scooters to the area. This comes as city leaders work to increase mobility options.
"Just back and forth or whenever I'm just out for recreational events to see some friends in the city," said Arron Lee.
WATCH: City of St. Pete plans to invest in more electric scooters
Aaron Lee uses the electric bikes as scooters in St. Pete every week.
"It just adds a lot of convenience for me personally, and I actually just got rid of my car a year and a half ago…so it works perfectly for me because I'm very local," said Lee.
He’s excited to hear the city is planning to add 900 new scooters for St. Pete residents to use.
"I think it’s critical, again, I don’t have a car. So they are a lifesaver, especially in the summertime when there is tremendous heat out here, as we all know," said Lee.
The City of St. Pete is partnering with the companies, Lime and Spin, to add the scooters.
The new scooters will be equipped with GPS, speed limits that max out at 15 miles per hour, and restrictions on areas people can travel to. But not everyone is excited about the new scooters.
“For the community as a whole, I think it’s a hindrance. I think it takes up extra space," said Bob Judalena, who lives in St. Pete.
Judalena said he’s seen many accidents involving these scooters almost happen, and he thinks the city should invest in buses and safer transportation options instead.
“There's tons of alcohol around here and irresponsible people, and I just feel like that is a hindrance to not only safety, but convenience," said Judalena.
However, Lee said that diverse transportation options are necessary.
“I think it’s crucial to have public transportation options, whether it’s the city bus or something as convenient as a scooter or the bikes," said Lee.
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