[randyrand]

It's an easy fix - just add bike lanes and bike/scooter racks.

The benefits of scooters are many: a single lane can accommodate many more scooters than cars. less emissions. faster than public for 1-3 miles. It's worth accommodating scooters.

[darkstar999]

> less emissions

Are you sure? Accounting for the fact that drivers pick them up with a car, drive them home, charge them, and then drive them again to a new location? And the fact that they can have as little as a 6 month life because of wear and tear?

[randyrand]

Than a taxi? Definitely. A taxi also has to drive to pick you up and drive around to wait for more passenger.

Than public? it's a tossup.

As for linespan, the first scooter rollout used consumer grade scooters. Commercial scooters are just rolling out: https://www.bird.co/zero/

[onemoresoop]

Do you think it's a good idea to mix bicycles and scooters?

[milkytron]

I ride my bike to work, and generally I don't have any issues with scooterers as long as they follow the same rules bikers do. The less experienced ones will always be a problem, as well as intoxicated riders, but that's true for any mode of transit. Safety should come first.

Are there any reasons it might not be a good idea for the two to use the same paths/roadways? Or better alternatives that are currently available?

[onemoresoop]

Better alternatives for now, Im not sure to be honest. I just feel it is much easier or more tempting to go fast on a scooter. Since one doesn’t have to pedal and put in physical effort, it is tempting to always go fast (or faster) as opposed to naturally go with the flow. And it doesn’t help that electric scooters drain by distance when speed is variable or the difference is insignificant. Why would one wait behind a cyclist when they can quickly accelerate and pass. At least some would be tempted. This creates some kind of traffic mismatch and more collisions are likely, I think. Im sure some rules and common sense would eventually ensue. Learning from mistakes. Or maybe a top speed could level the traffic off. Or maybe even some sort of light “licence”. I hear that in Germany one is required for cyclists and thats a good way to ensure some responsibility or better aquitance with the rules.

Maybe I’m wrong. I am not certain of anything but electric scooters seem to me like a good and clean way of transportation. I feel that I’d like to see fewer cars as well. I imagine cleaner air, etc. We’d be all better off with all kinds of development in light and efficient transportation. We seem to be stuck with large and energy inneficient stuck in the past transportation. Seems inevitable a change will come along.

[novok]

Rental scooters are speed limited to about 15mph, the speed of a fast-ish bicyclist, and they don't go up hills very well. So it's the same dynamic as fast and slow cyclists today in the bike lane.