Lakewood Testing Dockless Scooter Waters With Resident Survey
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Dockless transportation is moving from Denver into neighboring communities. Lakewood is the latest city hammering out details on how to handle scooters, E-bikes and others.
And, they are using Denver as a model for what not do.
Lakewood officials want to be proactive. For them, that starts with input from the people who live and work there.
"I see people using them downtown all the time to get around faster. I think it would be a big help," one Lakewood student said.
"I have to walk between that building over there to here, and it would be more convenient to have other alternatives," Roland Cheng said after walking from his office at the Denver Federal Center to the light rail station.
However, not everyone sees it that way.
Dockless scooters and E-bikes can also come with a number of challenges. Just one month in Denver and users have battled issues on where to ride and where to park.
Transportation engineer Mike Whiteaker says they are all things the City of Lakewood is considering.
"Parking has been issue, blocking the sidewalks, and it's kind of a perception thing too because it is a change some people view that as liter or unsightly," he said.
Whiteaker says there are areas they think would benefit from access and hammering out the details is where they hope the community steps in.
"Right now we have our ears open essentially," he said.
They have launched an online survey where residents can pinpoint good areas for picking up or dropping off. They can also leave comments about to rules, regulations and safety.
While many of those CBS4 spoke with were undecided, and some thought they would be a nuisance, those in support believe in the end one thing will make a successful program and it falls on the operator's common sense.
Karen Morfitt joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2013. She covers a variety of stories in and around the Denver metro area. Connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @karenmorfitt or email her tips.