You may soon be able to rent an e-scooter in downtown Jackson.
On April 15, the Jackson City Council approved an ordinance establishing rules for e-scooter rental companies.
Currently, Michigan cities like Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Detroit have e-scooters operated by companies like Spin or Lime. Users rent the scooters through an app installed on mobile devices.
Mayor Daniel Mahoney thinks e-scooters would be a positive addition to downtown Jackson.
“Anything that we can do to allow people an opportunity to see the city from a different view, have a little bit of fun in our downtown area and create another mode of transportation that helps people get around is always a positive thing,” he said.
Mahoney says he has taken an e-scooter for a spin on more than one occasion — including during a trip to Texas.
“I was in San Antonio for a conference, and I had a little bit of extra time,” he said. “I said ‘Hey, I might as well go and see some sights.’ And I actually took a scooter around downtown San Antonio, and it was just a good time.”
The ordinance establishes a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour for e-scooters and a limit of one person per scooter.
It requires e-scooter companies to use geo-fencing, which utilizes GPS technology to create virtual boundaries to make certain scooters are used only in permitted areas.
Companies that choose to operate in Jackson will also have to make sure that at least 20% of their fleet is deployed in underserved areas identified by the city.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
