In a bid to enhance transportation for its residents, San Marcos has broadened the spectrum of its electric scooter service. The city's collaboration with Spin, a micro-mobility company, now promises expanded service areas and round-the-clock availability.
Effective since the beginning of July, the expanded pilot program encompasses neighborhoods to the east of Interstate 35, with a notable focus on Aquarena Springs Drive and Uhland Road. Swayed to attract ridership, the city is enticing users with an incentive—offering a discount of 20% for those who return their scooters to designated deployment zones, according to Community Impact.
This move arrives as part of San Marcos's broader efforts to address transportation equity. "One of the biggest benefits is providing an additional form of transportation for underserved areas and a more equitable form of transportation," Charles Campbell, the multimodal parking initiatives manager told KXAN. Previously concentrated in busier districts such as downtown and near Texas State University, these micro-mobility options are now branching out to serve wider community needs.
In addition to expanding the geographical reach, the Spin scooters' hour restrictions have ceased to exist. Previously, the usage of e-scooters was not hailed between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Now they glitter the streets of San Marcos at all hours, catering specifically to third-shift workers and night owls in need of transportation. This unmanned fleet of scooters, accompanied by safety features like slow ride zones and a nocturnal speed cap of 15 mph, reflects Spin's commitment to user safety. Spearheading these changes, Campbell asserts, "We’ve expanded the program to offer 24-hour scooter service with the hope of providing an additional transportation option for third shift workers, students and other community members," as reported by KXAN.
The San Marcos Police Department and Texas State Police Department have observed a minimal number of incidents pertaining to the scooters, laying to rest concerns over their adoption. The Spin program's growth trajectory, facilitating over 81,000 trips in the previous year, signifies a burgeoning reliance on this eco-friendly and pocket-friendly mode of transport. San Marcos residents can procure these scooters via the Spin mobile application, ready to embark on their "last-mile" journeys.
