By Jessica Troy —
Those electric scooters that well populate many an American and Arizona city raise concerns. The safety of riders zigging, and zagging and scooters scattered about are challenges.
The critics see the injuries, the reckless riders and the perception that left-behind scooters are like the multiplying Tribbles from ‘Star Trek’.
But for destinations for tourists, millennials and the younger Generation Z the e-scooters make sense.
Check out Old Town Scottsdale.
The electric scooters are popular in Scottsdale’s core. They help connect tourists and younger consumers. to what makes Scottsdale a top international destination.
If you watch the electric scooters with an open mind, they are part of the experience tourists and locals are looking for these days.
That includes while they are on vacation or just a nice night or day on the town.
The e-scooters better connect the Old Town’s various areas — the restaurants, the galleries, the bars, the shops.
That connectivity can broaden and expand experiences making it easier to get from say the Civic Center Plaza Mall to the Scottsdale Waterfront and Scottsdale Fashion Square.
That means spending more time and money. And that means more revenue for businesses and more tax revenue for the city and state.
The e-scooters are experiential which makes them important for Scottsdale’s tourism and entertainment. So, as the industry evolves, and cities look at how to handle and further regulate scooters and other transport modes they need to balance what consumers and tourists want with safety and other concerns.
An open mind and seeing the possibilities are often the best path.
Other cities and downtowns also need to be open minded when it comes to the scooters and other options.
Safety is a concern. And, so are the propensity of scooters to scatter about.
But they have upsides to help make areas into destinations. And, destinations are about experiences, including those pesky scooters.