Valley City to Introduce E-Scooter Ride Sharing Program
If you’ve been to a big city lately, you’ve probably noticed electric scooters (e-scooters) sitting on sidewalks across the city. Scooter ride sharing has expanded across many cities in the US, and it continues to grow. Riders download an app, create an account, and pay for their rides on the app. The scooters help riders get around the city quicker than walking, and it’s a fun way to get from point A to point B.
Valley City has a creative and forward thinking mayor and board of aldermen, and they’re always looking for ways to help the city and move it forward. The Strong River Valley Transportation Authority (SRVTA) recently received a federal grant for rural transportation needs. Valley City and their administration was able to get some of the grant money for the e-scooter program.
Valley City Ward 2 alderman Jimmy “Scooter” Brown is excited about the e-scooter program. Brown was the driving force to start the e-scooter program. He said, “I went to New York City last year, and I saw a ton of people riding around on electric scooters. They would zip by me, and it was way faster than walking. I thought then that it would be so cool if Valley City could have some of these things, and here we are now! Plus, I think this can generate up to $75 per month in revenue to the city. We could start getting food catered at our monthly meetings with that money.”
There are multiple e-scooter companies out there, and Valley City did their research and due diligence on them. They ended up choosing Bird as their vendor. Valley City plans to start with four scooters, and they may purchase more if there is demand for them. Valley City plans to go live with the e-scooters on December 1st, and they’re going to make a big deal out of it. The mayor will speak at a press conference, and they’re going to invite the media. Also, Alderman “Scooter” Brown will be the first to ride one of the e-scooters, so y’all get your cameras ready. The SRVO will be there to cover it. I talked with Valley City residents about the e-scooter program, and the reactions were mixed.
A senior citizen said, “This scooter thing is so dumb. We ain’t New York City or Chicago. It’s not going to work, I can tell you right now. The young people are not gonna take care of them; they’ll be torn up in two weeks. If they don’t get torn up, then they’ll get stolen. I don’t want to see those hideous things sitting on our sidewalks. Also, I hope “Scooter” Brown busts his butt when he does his little ride for the cameras.”
A Valley City teen said, “This is so cool! I can’t believe we’re going to have e-scooters in Valley City. I rode one last year when we went on vacation to New York, and it was so awesome. It’s sure beats walking around town. I can’t wait to do a TikTok while scooting around on one.”
The SRVO will be at the press conference, and we’ll make sure to get a video of “Scooter” Brown on a scooter. We’ll keep you updated on how the program goes.
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