Electric scooters expected to hit Lexington this fall

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Soon, you’ll have another way to get around Lexington.

A new law that went into effect today means you’ll be able to ride an electric scooter around the city just as you would a bicycle.

And it’s perfect timing because electric scooters you can rent will start popping up around the city this fall, after the University of Kentucky and the city of Lexington launch the program.

“Well I’ve never ridden one but they’re kinda popular in Seattle where my family is from so I think they’ll go pretty big here,” says UK student, Adrian Mattsson. “Seem pretty cheap, easy to use.”

You may have seen orange Spin bikes around town in the past but UK’s Sandra Broadus says in just a few days they’ll be off the streets, soon to be replaced by the scooters.

Spin, the company that owns them, says the e-scooters just make more money.

Like a bike, e-scooters have to stay in the bike lane on city roads but on UK’s campus you can ride them on the sidewalks.

The new law sets the speed limit at 20 mph and says riders must be 16-years-old to rent.

“So to get started you basically just wanna stand on it and give it a few kick steps and then there’s a go and a stop so you wanna think of this like the gas pedal and brake pedal on your car. If you gun it right away, you’re gonna shoot off really quickly and if you brake really hard, you’re gonna brake really hard,” says Broadus, the university’s Alternative Transportation Manager.

She says they’re just as easy to rent as they are to ride. All you need is an app and a way to pay.

“Usually like a dollar to unlock and then 15-cents a minute or something like that. The prices vary depending on the company,” explains Broadus.

We talked to a bicyclist who said she’s not excited to see the scooters. She thinks they’re dangerous.

But other students we talked to are thrilled.

“Yeah, I am excited,” says Mattsson. “We’ll see how they go here. I’ve had art classes up to four miles away so those scooters will be pretty helpful if people can afford them.”

For more information on the scooters, click here.