The view from the Idea Center

Electric scooters first came to Downtown Cleveland a little over a year ago, unannounced, uninvited and undercover.

City officials ordered them off the sidewalks until they could come up with a permitting process, get bids from other vendors and develop safety rules. They returned in August. Within a matter of months, scooters, and now e-bikes, have become as ubiquitous as Cleveland’s murals.

Will they become a part of your city’s landscape?

Five communities – Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, University Heights, Euclid and South Euclid – are running a survey to gauge residents’ openness to these zippy little ways to get around. So far, as ideastream’s Taylor Haggerty reported, a majority of respondents, 68 percent, say they’d welcome them.

By the way, Taylor’s story was inspired by your spirited conversations about scooters in ideastream’s Public Square Facebook group.

“Hell, yes!!! I think it’s a fantastic idea,” said Bob Kirsch. “Get rid of cars and walk, bike or scoot.”

“No, I’m not ready,” said Tia Mcdalya. “Process improvement needed.”

For me, that means better scooter management. I see them scattered all over the place, which is one of their selling points. However, it makes the city look like the playroom of a giant baby who didn’t put away his toys.

What about you? Would you use them, and if so, how? Would you scoot or bike? And where would you want them parked? Chime in anytime.

Scooting out of here for lunch. 

See you bright and early on the radio tomorrow morning,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

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Your ideas

Are you like Sarah Nolan Dobransky, who said in our Public Square group she was almost run down by a scooter but also thinks that they bring people Downtown? Or, like Bob Hirsch, do you think there’s an (enthusiastic) environmental case to be made? Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square! We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.