NAPLES, Fla. — Could rented motorized scooters be the new way to roll around town in Naples? City leaders tell Fox 4 that at least two companies have approached them about the idea of starting a motorized scooter service for public use.
Companies such as Bird and Lime offer the service in cities like San Francisco and Indianapolis. Users rent the scooters for a small fee using a smartphone app.
But Alan Ryker, co-founder of the Naples Pathways Coalition - which played a key role in getting bike lanes built in the city - is concerned that scooters could cause problems on the city's right-of-ways, which are already handling plenty of pedestrian, bicycle and car traffic.
"We have enough interference on our cycling routes," Ryker said. "I just think it would potentially be a real disaster."
The City of Naples would likely have to create an ordinance regulating where scooters could ride, and how violations would be enforced - if city leaders give the scooters the green light.
City council members are scheduled to see a presentation on the pros and cons of establishing a scooter service in the city at their regular meeting Wednesday.
