E-scooters will be coming to Athens and Ohio University Nov. 4 after Spin, the e-scooter company, was selected to operate in Athens.
There will be 100 scooters deployed throughout the campus. They can be rented at a rate of $1 per ride and $0.29 per mile, according to a news release.
The operating hours for the scooters are from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily, as long as weather permits. Since the scooters do not deploy during bad weather, the scooters will be unavailable for rental between Dec. 15 and Feb. 15.
There will also be limited access to the scooters during high-traffic weekends and events on campus.
Court Street and College Green are both designated as “no ride” zones. Any temporary “slow ride” zones will be designated through the Spin-Electric Scooters app.
There will be specific parking for scooters, and they should be returned to those designated locations following use to assist with deployment and service efforts, according to the news release.
“These electric scooters are designed to provide an effortless experience for their riders,” said Tia Hysell, director of Transportation and Parking Services, in a news release.
There will be safety events on Oct. 26 on North Court Street from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m, Oct. 31 at the top of Baker Center from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and at the Athens Community Center from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31.
Josh Adkins, a junior studying industrial and systems engineering, said he might use the scooters instead of taking the bus to get to and from where he lives.
Adkins said since he is in engineering, he always has to go to West Green for classes, which is far from where he lives.
He also said it would be nice to have them around Baker Center just for the convenience of getting around campus.
Brendon Petersen, a freshman studying business management information, said he would not use the scooters because he has a longboard.
Peterson said he isn’t concerned with the safety aspect because people already skateboard and bike on campus and in Athens.
