Originally Posted by
downtube42
My very unscientific analysis of scooter numbers today, riding around NE Portland, is there were about as many scooters as bikes. They seem immensely popular to me, with users ranging from adolescents to office workers. I don't know what their speed limit is, but I'd guess far faster than 7 mph. We'll see what happens once the rain starts.
I see them all the way out in Gresham, 10 miles from downtown Portland. I don't know if they were ridden out here, carried on the Max, or seeded here. But they are being used.
My guess is, scooters are super easy to rent and ride. Quicker than walking, too.
There seems to be confusion about the difference between counting numbers of rental scooters seen parked/dumped on the street/sidewalk/empty lot, and the number of people who actually pay to use them and how often they use them.
I wouldn't be surprised if a relative handful of people plan to use one for the "last mile" of a multi-mode commute when the weather is nice and they are not carrying any packages. I would be surprised if such a plan entails
any reduction in ownership of any privately owned motor vehicles (or bicycles for that matter), since they are seldom kept and used exclusively for such a limited purpose.