Scooter Share Program Will Return To Cedar Rapids

An electric scooter rental program that proved popular last year in Cedar Rapids will not only return, but expand as well. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that city officials confirmed Tuesday that the scooters and bikes residents could rent through an app on their smartphones are set to return this March, depending on the weather.

City officials say that the rentals were extremely popular last year even though they launched in August. Many people were seen using them in the downtown area. The plan this year is to expand the scooter program from 30 to 80 scooters and hold steady on the bikes at 150. The devices cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute to use.

The scooter program did draw a few complaints last year. People riding on sidewalks, which is illegal, being left in odd places and not being available at all, were some of the setbacks. But officials say there were no serious injuries involved with the scooters and things didn't go nearly as bad as some had feared.