Atlanta’s E-Scooter Innovations and the Problems Local Councils Now Face
The city of Atlanta has a lot to offer anyone looking to move into the city limits. With everything from great job opportunities to some of the best entertainment that someone could want, Atlanta truly has something for everyone. As with any city though, Atlanta faces numerous challenges that may impede how much someone could enjoy the city. One of the city’s major problems is traffic. Atlanta is known to be one of the most congested cities in Atlanta and anyone living in the city will already know this. As such, the city has introduced a new mode of transportation to help reduce traffic levels, the E- Scooter.
The Problem of E-Scooters
In May of 2018, e- scooters were officially introduced to the city of Atlanta. This introduction brought easier, and a more eco-friendly form of transportation for those moving within the city. Although this would seemingly be a great addition for a city as heavily populated as Atlanta, there would soon be a number of problems that city officials would run into due to the high usage of e-scooters.
The first major problem that city officials faced when it comes to e-scooters were several deaths that were associated with the use of e-scooters. The total number of deaths due to E -scooter usage has been totaled up to 4, with all of them occurring in 2019., with the first death by E- scooter occurring in July of 2019, and the most recent occurrence happening in August.
Another major issue that is occurring has to deal with reckless usage of e-scooters. It has been reported that some users have been riding e-scooters in a reckless manner, with some going so far as to hack the scooters in order to ride at higher speeds. As such, the city has implemented some rules to help minimize such incidents involving e-scooters. One such rule that the city is implementing is a fine for misusing e-scooters. This fine would be placed on users who choose to ride e-scooters in a reckless manner, as well as those riding on sidewalks. In an attempt to further circumvent these issues, the city has been lead to implement a nighttime ban from the hours of 9 pm to 4 am.
Future Outlook
Transportation in a city such as Atlanta can be a big headache for anyone. With Atlanta being ranked as one of the most congested cities in the U.S., it is easy to see why cities try to implement new modes of transportation. E- scooters can been seen as a very popular mode of transportation in Atlanta, but as with anything that is new, early problems are going to arise. Now that there are new rules for e- scooter usage, one would have to think of what other rules could the city place to ensure the safety of those moving about in the city.
As of now, it can been seen that e-scooters have been pretty successful and popular by many in the city, and it is hoped that the city officials will find a solution to help prevent future accidents., Hopefully, this happens without hindering usage and popularity for those who enjoy traveling through the city by way of the e- scooter.
