After unannounced roll-outs and forced evictions, sharable e-scooters have returned to the streets of Indianapolis and Louisville. Since these two high-profile launches are now official, it’s no wonder Clarksville natives are wondering whether these new modes of transportation will soon end up in their city.
Since Clarksville is so close to Louisville, introducing e-scooters into the city must be on Bird and Lime executives’ minds. As of today, however, company execs and local lawmakers haven’t released any concrete information that these scooters will be launched in the city.
For those who don’t already know, these sharable devices are just scooters with an electric motor (hence the “e” in the name!). Riders simply use a special app on their phones to unlock one of these scooters before pushing up the kickstand and riding around town.
Users control the throttle with their right handle (reaching a max speed of 15 mph) and can brake using the left handlebar. When they’re ready to finish using these scooters, users are urged to park them in a secure location, put down the kickstand, and lock the scooter with their app.
The two major companies in this sharable e-scooter business are Bird and Lime. Scooters from both of these companies are currently available in Indianapolis as well as about 30 other major American cities and dozens of college campuses.
At the moment, both Bird and Lime charge the same rates for riding one of their scooters. Customers have to pay $1 to get on the scooter and an additional 15 cents for every minute they use the device.
If you are ever going to use an e-scooter, it’s highly advised to wear a helmet for your own safety. According to Indiana state law, however, only children under 18 are required to wear DOT-approved helmets.
It’s a requirement, however, for all e-scooter users to only ride in bike-protected lanes. When there aren’t bike-protected lanes available, it’s advised to ride as close to the curb as possible. Whatever you do, please don’t ride these scooters on the sidewalks.
For more information on Bird or Lime, you can check out their official websites using these links: https://www.bird.co/ and https://www.li.me/.
