Safety Concerns As More Scooters Hit The Roads Around Tulsa

Nearly 800 electric scooters have been dropped around Tulsa over the last two weeks.

They are on most street corners downtown.

Between Lime, Bird, and This Machine, there are plenty of new options to get around the city, but with it comes some risks.  The City says it planned far in advance to make this as smooth as possible.

Rob Sexton and Chase Cullum work downtown and say they can’t get enough of the electric scooters.

“You have the cost of a vehicle and this is better economically, but this is a lot more fun,” said Sexton.  “Even though I am a grown man, especially on lunch break, it is kind of a reward as well.”

More than a week ago, Lime Scooters hit the streets of Tulsa.  Just a few days ago, Bird Scooters swooped in.

“Tulsa has had one of the smoother launches of scooters in the country and now being looked at as a national model across the country to adopt that and handle the technology,” said Nick Doctor, who works for the City of Tulsa.

But Doctor says that these scooters are to be taken seriously by those using them and by those driving around them.

“As you see more on the streets, drivers are becoming more aware there are new vehicles on the streets in a way they’ve had to be aware of bicyclists and pedestrians in the past,” he said.

Aleacia Newby learned the dangers the hard way – crashing her Lime scooter on Friday while taking a corner too quickly.

“On the way to ER, we saw a lady who had hit a parked car and she was on the ground being helped up,” said Newby, “so go slow until you know what you’re doing.”

The City is insured under the contract with the scooter companies.

Also, the City of Tulsa charges the company 50 dollars per scooter per year and that money goes to road maintenance and things like bike lanes.

“I’m proud of Tulsa,” said Cullum.  “I think they’ve really changed in their mindset in being a better city and incorporating scoot life.”

Keep in mind, around downtown and areas like Brookside and Cherry Street, scooters must stay on roadways and not on sidewalks; in other locations outside of downtown, the sidewalk is preferred.