Nobody In Grand Rapids Rides The Scooters Correctly

The other night I was walking around Downtown Grand Rapids with my friend. We walked along the Riverwalk, swatting at bugs; It was a lovely summer evening. However, as we were walking along the Pearl St. Bridge, we were nearly forced into the road by a group of riders on the scooters hogging the entire sidewalk.

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Now, I am not one to complain about a lot of things. But, this is my largest pet peeve. I do not think people should ride the scooters on sidewalks, and as it turns out, it is actually illegal to ride them on the sidewalks. 

Safe Riding For Everyone

There are numerous reasons why riding a scooter on the sidewalk can be dangerous. People may not be aware of someone zipping past you on a scooter, or due to the limited space on the sidewalks, things quickly become cramped as the sidewalks are full of people walking, putting both pedestrians and riders at risk of crashing.

READ MORE: Father and Son Fish Over 200 e-Scooters From Lansing River |

The City of Grand Rapids has released its guidelines for scooter usage and elaborated in an interview with WOOD-TV. So, next time you ride a scooter downtown, make sure to do the following:

• Use the entire lane while riding on the road.
  • It is important to make your presence known so that others around you can make room for you. Scooter/Bike riders have the same Rules of the Road the drivers do, and are to be treated like another vehicle on the road.
• Take advantage of the bike lanes.
  • Bike lanes are currently a bit of a gray area for the Michigan legal system. Michigan Vehicle Code doesn't prohibit electric scooters from being in bike lanes.
  • Grand Rapids has deemed it legal to use the bike lanes. Local laws may differ since Uniform Traffic Codes state “A person shall not operate a vehicle on or across a bicycle lane", but since electric scooters can be considered vehicles it is up to local law enforcement to determine if it should be legal or not.

• When using a scooter on a sidewalk, walk the scooter instead of riding it.
  • This is to avoid hitting an unsuspecting person as they walk out of a shop or restaurant.
• Sidewalk Riders must "give an audible alert when passing."
  • This is the best way to make pedestrians aware you're coming.

Following these simple tips will keep everyone safer while Downtown.