Driving downtown and having to worry about where to park your car and the costs associated with it can be a hassle. But, people in Grand Rapids will now have the option of renting an electric scooter or bike as a form to effortlessly get around town.

Beginning this summer a one-year pilot program will launch in the city which will offer [stand up and sit down] electric scooters and bikes for residents to rent and ride.

According to MLive, the pilot program was passed at the City Commission's meeting on Tuesday.

The program will start with 400-500 stand-on scooters, 200 bikes and 100 sit-down scooters. The scooters will be electric-powered while the bikes are electric-assisted.

The scooters and bikes will be available in several neighborhoods surrounding Downtown Grand Rapids such as the West side, Creston, Grandville, Heritage Hill, Belknap Lookout, and Eastown. When finished with your ride, you drop it off at one of the parking hubs located at the different neighborhoods.

Rental for the stand-up scooters and bikes will be $1 to unlock and 15¢ per minute used. Low income residents will get it for half the price.

According to MLive, the city sees this program as a way to "complement" public transportation

...as being able to get residents to a bus or from the bus to work.

Similar programs already take place in other cities like Ann Arbor, Detroit, and East Lansing. It's expected to begin in Grand Rapids in either August or September. Hopefully, the weather will still be nice by then.

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