The third option in the City of Seattle’s Scooter Share Program hit the streets on Monday as Wheels started deploying its unique, sit-down electric scooters.
Wheels was granted a permit along with Lime and LINK as part of a micro-mobility program authorized by the Seattle City Council in September. Like bike sharing, the free-floating scooters are intended to be another transportation option, accessible through a smartphone app, in neighborhoods across Seattle.
Wheels emerged from the selection process as the “most accessible option” because of its seated scooter. Unlike traditional stand-up models, the Wheels model is intended to offer greater stability because of its lower center of gravity. The company says that accessibility has attracted a broader demographic of riders, including half who are women and a third who are over the age of 35.
Wheels says the model’s 14-inch tires create a smoother ride over uneven surfaces. And 20% of the scooters in Seattle will come with an integrated helmet, with the intention of scaling to the entire fleet. The helmets, attached to the back of the scooter, come with removable biodegradable liners to assure sanitary use from one rider to the next.
Among other COVID-19 safety measures, Wheels is planning self-sanitizing handlebar grips made in partnership with a company called NanoSeptic, which makes surfaces containing “mineral nanocrystals” powered by light to break down organic contaminants at the microscopic level. Wheels workers will also sanitize scooters at hub locations.
Lime and LINK have already started operations. The three companies in the Scooter Share Program are allowed to operate up to 500 scooters each at the outset, and Wheels plans to scale to that number over the first month of operations. Initially, Wheels scooters will be in downtown and First Hill before deployment is broadened. Pricing is $1 to unlock and 36 cents per minute to ride.
Wheels was founded by brothers Jonathan and Joshua Viner, who also founded the dog-walking startup Wag. The company currently operates in cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, Orlando, Vienna, and Brussels.
The Wheels scooter app is available on Google Play and the App Store.
The Link LonkNovember 16, 2020 at 09:00PM
https://www.geekwire.com/2020/sit-wheels-starts-deploying-unique-style-scooters-part-seattle-sharing-program/
Sit down for this: Wheels starts deploying its unique style of scooters as part of Seattle sharing program - GeekWire
https://news.google.com/search?q=Wheel&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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