Effort to bring scooter rentals downtown aims to start this season
If approvals fall into place, you could be able to hop on an electric foot scooter to get around downtown this summer.
Troy Holt and his family are hoping to bring a locally operated version of Leaf Rides, which they discovered on a family trip to Duluth, Minnesota, where the service launched.
âWeâd rented scooters before but hadnât had a chance to really visit and see a community like we were able to there,â said Holt, who works as the chief operating officer at Five Star Call Centers.
âWe just got chatting and decided to run with it.â
It would be a family venture for his wife, Sara, and teenage sons Carson and Connor. The hope is to begin with 50 scooters in downtown Sioux Falls around Memorial Day.
First, though, state and city approvals are needed. A bill is making its way successfully through the Legislature, but beginning operations also will require a city ordinance.
The Holts tried to bring one forward last year but went back to retool their approach after encountering questions.
âI think youâll see there is plenty of operating area for what weâre looking to do,â Holt said, adding the scooters wouldnât be used in areas of high pedestrian traffic such as sidewalks in the heart of Phillips Avenue.
And the scooters âwill be off the streets by dark, so businesses donât need to worry about them,â he said. âWeâre not going to leave them in parking zones. They will be completely off the streets and charging overnight.â
The advantage he sees is in using the scooters as a way for people to see more of the cityâs expanding downtown more easily and then go back and revisit stores and restaurants that appealed to them.
The hope would be to park them in places such as Falls Park or the 12th Street Plaza.
âGet riders close to downtown so they can still visit businesses and participate in events, but donât leave them in front,â he said. âWeâre just looking to offer some on-demand transportation.â
The owners would be visible throughout downtown, he added, including helping people learn how to use the scooters safely.
âWeâre not just going to drop off 50 scooters and leave them,â he said. âWe want to make sure this is a partnership.â
The scooters would be for those 14 and older and operate through an app, which typically charges $1 to start and 35 cents per minute after that.
Holt compares them to âthe pedal scooter you see running through the neighborhood. ⊠They just have electric power with it,â he said. âI think the timing is perfect when you look at whatâs happening with Falls Park, The Steel District, Cherapa Place; thereâs just so much to see. Itâs a chance to see our great downtown more efficiently, and so you ultimately want to see more.â
Want to stay connected to where you live with more stories like this?
Adopt a free virtual âpigeonâ to deliver news that will matter to you.