Jim from Boston

I have not given much thought to electric scooters until this morning when it was the topic of a local morning radio talk show.

On 3/8 I had called in about cycling commuters (link)..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

...Just this morning (3/28) his topic was the introduction of electric scooters onto the streets of Boston, This time I did get a chance to make my three points, valid IMO with respect to scooters and bicycles. First, both are entitled to be on the road.

Secondly they reduce congestion if extensively used, since so many in-town trips are individual motorists traveling short distances. Of course, Jeff kept illustrating his arguments with depictions of long distance commutes, and trips with the family.

The preceding caller made the point that the availability of scooters, as well as the Blue Bikes draws pedestrians and subway users out into the streets. I agreed because that increased mobility, convenience and relative speed can be similar, and even more appealing than driving.

Thirdly, I got to make my point about safety. Earlier in the program he ribbed of inadvertently "bumping” scooters, hoping the operator wore a helmet and knee and elbow pads, but agreed with me that such accidents certainly are more serious.

I didn’t get to make my conclusion that IMO, the crux of the proposal, since these two-wheeled vehicles have a right to be on the road, and could be a popular transportation mode in the city, is how they and the cars can co-exist..

Jeff was actually gracious in his comments, even inviting me to call in the summer, when the scooters would be prevalent.Indeed, he claimed that the cyclists would likely be the most inconvenienced, and harmed by the scooters.