Why Rentable Electric Scooters Should Make Their Way to Utica
Though we don't have them yet... there is light at the far end of Genesee Street.
If you've ever visited any larger city, you'd know about the electric scooters and bikes on street corners. They're posted up for visitors and locals to ride, all accessible through an app associated with the scooters company.
It's a ton of fun to zip around a new city, taking in all the sights on two wheels. But unfortunately for Central New Yorkers, we don't have any for miles.
Utica Needs Scooters
I'll admit it... this is an extremely far-fetched idea. But just hear me out. There are so many reasons why electric scooters would be beneficial.
First off, this is solely for our local benefit. Sure, it'd be great for visitors to explore Utica... but this isn't about them. I'm thinking about us locals who are looking for a little fun. Imagine zipping up and down the Erie Canal on one of these bad boys, leaving all those "healthy" runners and walkers in the dust.
Efficiency
On a serious note, (if that's even possible) I think this could cut down costs and time wasted for many people. Instead of waiting at every light on Genesee Street, zip past all the cars on idle on your scooter.
They would also make getting to-and-from the bars on Varick Street much faster as well. No need to wait for an Uber or walk back home when you can scoot instead. Yes, college students are foaming at the mouth for their own scooters.
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It's not like we're "too small" of a city to get them either. Oswego recently introduced scooters in their community and they love it. The students favor a quicker trip to the bars, while the "Oswegonians" liked being able to zip to Harbor Fest this summer.
The Flip Side
Of course with all these "great ideas", are the obvious reasons why this would never work.
First off, it's not worth the investment for these companies. Odds are more scooters will either just end up stolen or vandalized than actually used. Plus, they'd likely just get scattered throughout Utica anyhow.
The last thing we need is random, vandalized scooters laying all over the place. But you have to admit, it'd still be fun to ride them around while they last.