INDIANAPOLIS — E-scooters are a popular way to get around downtown, but riders say there's an issue with where to park them when they're done.
When Stanley Law wants some rest and relaxation, he hops on an electric scooter and rides around Mass Ave.
“Just being on the scooter, moving around quicker than a walk’s pace, gives you the opportunity to see a lot," Law said. “It gets you one place to the next pretty easy.”
Mass Ave is littered with rogue electric scooters — by Starbucks, in front of Goodfellas and steps away from Ann Dancing, to name a new.
Amy Minick Peterson says she sees the eye sore from out her shop’s window.
Peterson is the owner of Decorate, a home lifestyle shop that’s been on Mass Ave for a decade.
“On weekends in particular, it gets a little busy down here. We like that. Occasionally they’re in front of our stores and we have to worry about it from a safety standpoint," Peterson said. “We want to avoid falls, any kind of accidents that could occur from the scooters being in not the greatest places.”
Right now, Indy DPW is taking action.
The new scooter parking pilot aims to de-clutter the streets, improve pedestrian safety, ensure ADA compliance and reduce hazards.
There are about 30 different parking locations up and down Mass Ave.
“We chose Mass Ave because this is a high pedestrian area, a lot of folks use the ADA ramps here, I think we’ve all encountered a wayward scooter trying to park and make our way down the road," Indy DPW Spokesman Adam Pinsker said.
Pinkser says scooter companies Lime and Bird will create geo-fencing around the designated parking spots.
“If you don’t put those back in one of these designated parking spots, within inches of it, the meter will not shut off. It’ll keep rolling up charges, until that scooter is put back in the right parking spot," he said.
Indy DPW does not have an exact start date for the geo-fencing, but anticipates it will begin soon.
WRTV reached out to both Lime and Bird to ask if they had a clearer timeline.
"We're excited to collaborate with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works and our partners along Mass Ave to advance the city’s designated scooter parking pilot. We're expanding our best-in-class geofencing technology to complement the physical infrastructure, requiring riders to end their trips at designated scooter locations along the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District. This technology prioritizes safety and tidiness while continuing to help folks in Indianapolis get where they're trying to go sustainably and affordably. We applaud the City and County for continually improving shared micromobility across Indianapolis."
LeAaron Foley, Head of Government Relations at Lime
The folks WRTV spoke with on Tuesday were supportive of the concept.
“I think that’s a good thing. It’s one way to enforce the predictability of where scooters should be," Law said.
“I think it’s great for safety and I think people will be very supportive of it, both the riders and then the businesses," Peterson added.
