HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-08-23 Public Comment - M. Van Vuren - micromobility concernsFrom:peacefuljourneypetdoc@gmail.com
To:Agenda
Subject:micromobility concerns
Date:Monday, May 8, 2023 11:42:50 AM
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This is at least the second time I have written to express my displeasure with electric rental scooters
around town. I am thankful that you are considering revising the rules surrounding their use. Please
hold the scooter companies accountable for their misuse and keep them out of our front yards!
We have had two or three summers of them littered all over town, with last summer being the worst
yet. Every day they are littered on sidewalks and boulevards on the streets I walk and drive, including
in areas well outside of the downtown area. They are left in the same places for days on end.
Bozeman is a small town geographically and the people who use rental scooters could just as well
walk a few blocks. The only ones benefiting from the scooters are the companies that rent them out
—once again another entity making a buck at the expense of Bozeman residents.
Bozeman already has a litter problem, with so many people coming here to use the amenities with
little respect for what people who live here and provide services must endure. The rental scooters
are just another nuisance which detracts from the quality of life of residents.
Scooters are also dangerous and are often used inappropriately. Last fall we had two scooters shoot
into the road in front of us near W. Mendenhall St. and 5th. It was after dark and they were being
driven on the sidewalk/pedestrian crosswalk with no consideration for traffic laws or other vehicles
on the road. I am thankful for my husband’s quick reflexes as he slammed on our brakes, or those
scooter users would have been injured or killed.
Because they can be driven faster than a person can walk, just like bicycles, they should absolutely
not be ridden on sidewalks—drivers aren’t looking for something moving that fast to be coming from
a sidewalk.
Please “curb” the use of rental scooters in Bozeman.
Respectfully, Mikki Van Vuren, 316 Sheridan Ave.