ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — E-scooters may be showing up on St. Petersburg streets soon, months after they began rolling through downtown Tampa.
"You can hop on wherever and just ride along. You don’t have to go to a designated location I think that’s neat,” said Allison Fusaro.
She lives in Tampa but is considering a move to St. Pete. She says the scooters would be cool to have down there.
The proposal just went through the Housing, Land Use & Transportation Committee Thursday. It would like to bring 750 to 1,500 of the lightweight, cheaper mode of transportation to St. Pete.
They would kick off with a one year pilot program, which would renew for three more years if it’s successful.
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"It’s really hard to find a parking spot around here, I think for that it would be great,” said Nicole Whitehead, who lives downtown.
But, not everyone is ready to scoot.
"They’re dangerous,” said Vivian Herrington, who worries they’ll ruin the vibe of St. Pete. "To have them littered all over the sidewalks, sometimes they don’t pick them up quick enough."
The proposed rules wouldn’t allow you to ride the scooter on sidewalks or really anywhere near the water.
But Herrington thinks folks will most likely break the rules, possible ending up in serious danger.
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"If you crash near the seawall, you’re going to go over the sea wall,” she said.
Fusaro says it, "just depends, it’s about being responsible."
The scooters would only go 15 mph and could only be used between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Helmets are strongly encouraged, but the the proposal suggests they offer free helmets to riders.
It’s headed to city council in August for consideration. If passed, scooters would be on the streets by the end of the year.
