Fayetteville e-scooters average 1,000 rides a day

If you were in Fayetteville over the weekend, you probably saw someone on an e-scooter. Or had one buzz past. Or were on one yourself.

The state of play: A year and a half after Fayetteville's e-scooter program launched in November 2019, the two-wheelers are proving a popular way to make quick trips around the city.

• Two companies, Veo and Spin, each have 500 e-scooters in the city with every scooter averaging one ride per day.

Driving the news: As of May 10, an ongoing Fayetteville community survey shows that nearly 60% of respondents are either "happy" or "very happy" with the program.

• More than 67% would recommend visitors use e-scooters to explore Fayetteville.

Why it matters: Micromobility programs like e-scooters and bike share have the potential to reduce car trips, traffic, parking needs and carbon emissions.

Yes, but: They also put pedestrians, cyclists and users at risk if riders don't act responsibly.

• The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) says there were 18 shared scooter fatalities in the U.S. in 2019.
• That year, people in the U.S. took 136 million shared micromobility trips on scooters and bikes, up 60% from 2018.
• A study conducted by Henry Ford Health System shows that nearly 28% of scooter accidents in the U.S. result in head and neck injuries.

The local angle: Dane Eifling, Fayetteville's mobility coordinator, said there have been no fatalities or severe injury crashes reported through the city's shared bikes or e-scooter programs.

• But there's no tracking system for minor injuries.

By the numbers: Typical trips on shared scooters and bikes in the U.S. are around 12 minutes and usually range from 1 mile to 1.5 miles.

• According to Fayetteville's survey, 14% of respondents would've skipped a trip if not for an e-scooter.

Our thought bubble: The majority of folks do what they're supposed to but we see people misbehave on these things all the time. Everyone who uses e-scooters should keep safety top of mind.