Could electric scooters soon be zooming along Philadelphia streets, like they do in other cities like Washington D.C., Baltimore and Los Angeles?
Philadelphia is among the last big-city holdouts to allow e-scooter rentals. However, City Council already approved them for rent. But the state legislature has yet to approve them, and companies looking to bring e-scooters to city streets need Harrisburg's approval.
These electric scooters weigh less than 100 pounds and can hit a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour.
New York City and Philadelphia are the last two of the top ten U.S. cities to hop on the e-scooter bandwagon.
Proposed state legislation, House Bill 631, would create a new definition for "electric low-speed scooters" and would impart on them the same regulations as bicycles.
The bill is currently in the House transportation committee awaiting a public hearing.
Some appeal to e-scooters is in their cheap rental prices and accessibility.
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Lime, a major e-scooter rental company that would like to open shop in Philadelphia, allows users to locate nearby scooters with their mobile app. Then, riders just scan a barcode on the scooter and pay on the app to ride as far as they want.
The company initially charges riders $1 to rent an e-scooter and $0.15 for every minute after they start rolling.
Their scooters are being tailored for Philly streets (which are notorious for potholes) with enlarged wheels, increased weight and added shock absorbers, according to a spokeswoman.
