Electric scooters to be available after dark in Wichita

Ryan Newton
·1 min read

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Riders who rent Wichita’s electric-assisted scooters will soon be able to ride them after dark.

At the April 16 Wichita City Council meeting, the council approved a change to the city’s electric scooter ordinance. The change allows electric-assisted scooters to be operated at night if they have a front light and a rear red reflector.

The council’s vote was 7-0 for the first reading of the ordinance change. The council will vote on the second reading of the ordinance change at an upcoming meeting.

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Previously, the ordinance prohibited scooter operation “between the hours of dusk or 9:00 p.m., whichever is earlier, and sunrise.”

“We see a lot of demand increase around 6 or 7 p.m., and so when we disable them shortly thereafter, we think that we could really increase ridership by allowing them to be available a little bit longer,” Penny Feist, interim director of Wichita Transit

According to city council documents, out of 59,939 rides in 2023, only two safety issues were reported.

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