Third scooter-share provider, Wheels, arrives in Seattle

(Photo courtesy Wheels)

The city’s third approved scooter-share provider is distributing its scooters in Seattle starting today. This one is the seated-scooter company Wheels. From its announcement:

Wheels are designed far differently from traditional stand-up scooters. A seated riding position and low center of gravity provide a safer and more stable ride — one that’s more accessible for a much broader demographic, as evidenced by the fact that half of Wheels’ riders are women and one-third are over the age of 35. Large 14-inch tires create a smooth ride across bumps, cracks, and uneven surfaces. And, unlike other offerings, Wheels comes with its own integrated helmet system! Initially, 20% of Wheels scooters in Seattle will have integrated helmets, but this will soon be scaled up to cover the whole fleet.

Those reusable helmets include “removable biodegradable liners,” the company says. It’s also working on “self-sanitizing grips” with surfaces that it says contain “mineral nanocrystals … powered by any visible light to create a powerful and toxin-free oxidation reaction that continuously breaks down any organic contaminants at the microscopic level without the use of poisons, traditional heavy metals or dangerous chemicals.” As with other transportation-share options, this one requires an app for usage. We’re still waiting to hear back on West Seattle deployment plans; let us know if you see these anywhere on the peninsula.

50 Replies to "Third scooter-share provider, Wheels, arrives in Seattle"

  • Rick November 16, 2020 (10:17 am)

    Will these be required to have license plates,insurance and require riders to have motorcycle endorsements? If not, will I be able to ride my motorcycle on sidewalks,or wherever,without a helmet,plates,insurance or an endorsement? Being a misdemeanor, I shouldn’t be prosecuted, right?

    • Wendell November 16, 2020 (10:33 am)

      Agreed. And the tabs for these scooters should include a disproportionately adjusted Sound Transit fee… just like all other motorized two wheeled car-alternatives.

    • BBILL November 16, 2020 (11:40 am)

      FWIW, according to WA state law (RCW 46.04.332), “motor-driven cycle does not include a moped, a power wheelchair, a motorized foot scooter, or an electric personal assistive mobility device.” Also if it’s less than 2HP and limited in speed, then it’s a moped (RCW 46.04.304).

      • Wendell November 16, 2020 (12:52 pm)

        Outdated laws aside, the issue of small motors that travel over 20mph on foot trails needs to be addressed.

      • Tracey November 16, 2020 (1:07 pm)

        My cylclometer has me averaging 9.5mph on my recreational bike rides.  The RAD power bikes have a speed limit of 20mph and our arterial speed limit is now 25mph.  These mopeds approximate motor driven vehicles more than man powered.   I do believe that at some point this will need to be addressed.  It is freaky being passed at 20mph on Alki trail while rollerblading.  

        • Craig November 16, 2020 (4:30 pm)

          Agreed, freaky and dangerous.  I was riding the Duwamish trail with my son and we were passed by a privately owned scooter that seemed like it was approaching 30mp.  Just a matter of time before we see some serious accidents on bike paths -if we’re not already.  It seems like there is room to improve on safety.  Maybe scooters could sound out an automatic warning when approaching riders or pedestrians, limit speeds on multi use paths, don’t work within City Parks, have automated stopping to avoid collisions?   I don’t know what is in place but certainly didn’t feel safe when we were passed at such a rate and with no noise or warning.   So many upsides to losing a SUV to an electric scooter but I hope we can keep bike trails safe for everyone. 

        • BBILL November 16, 2020 (5:38 pm)

          With lower mass and maximum velocity, maximum kinetic energy of a moped is much lower than the maximum kinetic energy of a car.

          • Craig November 18, 2020 (6:52 pm)

            Thanks for the observation Bill but it doesn’t address the safety issues  on the dedicated bike trails or sidewalks where there are no cars.   

    • Kelkouska November 16, 2020 (2:32 pm)

      Doesn’t work that way, Rick.

    • Don Brubeck November 17, 2020 (12:43 pm)

      Riding motorized scooters on sidewalks is not allowed by Seattle. Sorry, you can’t ride your motorcycle on the sidewalk, either. You will have to ride around the electric scooters in the street.

  • Wendell November 16, 2020 (10:26 am)

    How long does it take for the helmet liners to biodegrade? Will they evaporate quicker than discarded masks?

  • Pawkey November 16, 2020 (10:39 am)

    Is anyone else concerned with the increasing amount of “alternative  travel “ clutter accumulating on our sidewalks?

    • KM November 16, 2020 (12:31 pm)

      A bit, pedestrians already have to fight for scraps, the region should be building better infrastructure and taking away space from cars, rather than shoving everyone not in a car into strips on the sides of the streets lucky enough to have sidewalks, let alone accessible ones.

    • jortismyhero November 16, 2020 (1:14 pm)

      For me personally, I’m significantly more concerned about the obscene amount of public right-of-way always taken up for the storage of private vehicles. If you want to be mad about something, how about people who park their cars across the sidewalk, blocking it entirely? I see it everywhere, and it is far more annoying that a few scooters and bicycles in occasionally found in the sidewalk. 

      • bsw November 16, 2020 (3:01 pm)

        Agreed re:  the insane amount of vehicles parked on sidewalks.  But on the plus side, I’ve been using them as an opportunity to train my parkour skills. 

      • KM November 16, 2020 (5:30 pm)

        I saw a proposal on Twitter earlier this year I loved (not my idea)–take away a parking spot on each side of the street on every block in every business district and on every arterial, for scooter and bike share parking. They can only be parked within those corrals (when available–on streets without corrals, they would still have to be parked as they are now, which is NOT blocking a sidewalk). These would be separate from regular bike rack facilities, as the micromobility company can pay SDOT for the permitted space, a la ReachNow and Car2Go. As demand increases, convert more parking. On another note, if there is a car parked on the sidewalk and you are physically able to, feel free to walk or barrel roll across it.

        • heartless November 16, 2020 (6:21 pm)

          I like that–well, actually, both of those–ideas.

        • BetteDavisEyes November 16, 2020 (7:42 pm)

          Is it okay to traverse the blocking automobile using my crampons and ice ax? :-)

  • CMT November 16, 2020 (10:39 am)

    What could go wrong?  I can see the benefits, but can also see many potential problems . Will hope for the best.

  • Anne November 16, 2020 (10:48 am)

    Also wondering how often these scooters get picked up -for a week now there have been 2 sitting in middle of sidewalk -blocking it (for anyone in a wheelchair -using a cane or walker – could be difficult to maneuver around) in our neighborhood.

  • Kent November 16, 2020 (10:48 am)

    I love the idea, but am already tired of seeing the scooters piled up like curb side junk on sidewalks on Beach Drive. The good news is it looks like these are harder for the tent city people to take apart and sell. 

    • Derek November 16, 2020 (7:02 pm)

      Shame on you for talking about homeless people in that manner. I really hate Seattle becoming so hostile to it’s less fortunate. 

  • L November 16, 2020 (10:58 am)

    Why are all of these scooter programs launching right at the onset of our dark, cold, and rainy winter?   Wouldn’t it be better to wait until spring?   Makes one wonder if these people know what they are doing, at all.

    • Kelkouska November 16, 2020 (11:42 am)

      Because they had to wait for permits and what not. I use them regardless of the weather and are great options for individuals without a car and we’re stuck on this island, might as well have some other options of transportation

  • Salal November 16, 2020 (11:09 am)

     Next up …the person who wants to tax people on bikes. Car culture is strong and ignorant

    • Spooled November 16, 2020 (12:00 pm)

      Absolutely bikes should be taxed.  Or, bus fares should increase to fund themselves.  I’m tired of subsiding things just because i drive and own a home.

      • WSB November 16, 2020 (12:05 pm)

        You are not ‘subsidizing” bicycle riders. If anything, they are subsidizing us drivers. We put this discussion to rest years ago but you can find endless citations.
        https://momentummag.com/free-rider-myth
        is just one.
        Now, if you want to discuss the actual subject of this story and whether the scooter-share companies are paying enough for using local right-of-way to peddle their rentals, have at it. I apologize for not including more background on that – TR

        • Joe Z November 16, 2020 (2:02 pm)

          As a cyclist I would be fine paying a tax that is proportional to the percentage of road space/maintenance that my bike is responsible for as well as externalized costs such as climate change. Let me know if that tax ends up being more than 1% of my car tabs. 

        • TM7302 November 16, 2020 (4:37 pm)

          WSB – The article you linked to contains no references and is written by a self proclaimed “bicycle activist” living in Portland, Oregon” which hardly makes her an authority.

  • jim November 16, 2020 (11:26 am)

    Having them painted a bright color could aid in safety.

  • Yma November 16, 2020 (12:50 pm)

    Motorized scooters should not be allowed on our sidewalks ( exception for health challenged).im really tired of seeing these things taking up the sidewalk. If you’re taking up a sidewalk, triple shame on you.

  • AMD November 16, 2020 (1:13 pm)

    I love these!  I’m so excited to have these options available, for when walking is a bit too much.  :)

  • smittytheclown November 16, 2020 (1:31 pm)

    If these can travel on sidewalks does that mean we can ride them over the lower bridge walkway and ride the sidewalks to work? 

    • Eddie November 16, 2020 (2:31 pm)

      Absolutely! Yes, they can be ridden over the lower bridge walkway and ride the sidewalks, or bike lanes to work.

    • Kelkouska November 16, 2020 (2:35 pm)

      Yes. If you download the app, you can see where you are permitted to ride them.

  • Joe Z November 16, 2020 (1:58 pm)

    If cars didn’t take up so much space then everyone else wouldn’t have to fight over the limited sidewalk space.

    How many of these can fit in the space of one parked car? 20? 25?

    Maybe we should take one car parking spot on every block in the city and convert it to a micromobility parking spot. That would make each of those parking spots 20 times more useful than it currently is and have the added benefit of reducing pedestrian/scooter conflicts.

  • skeeter November 16, 2020 (3:02 pm)

    First we have to share the road with people on bicycles.  Now we have to share the road with people on scooters?  This is an outrage and I’m tired of all the traffic.  If everyone on a bicycle or scooter would just drive an SUV instead all our traffic and congestion problems would be solved. 

  • Rico November 16, 2020 (3:07 pm)

    WSB – Correct on the installation of the on street bike parking spots.    As a West Seattle bike rider who often commutes to work by bike, and rides all around this city , I find these parking spots to be awkward at best,  and very dangerous at worst.  They should be removed.   The bike rider has to go around them.  They are too wide.     They push the rider further into the traffic lane, and often require the rider to wait as cars pass  – check out the one on 35th near the Westy Bar on corner, on across the street from Shadowland.    The large tubing the city used for racks is too large for my lock, and there are always better options for locking a bike.  Thus, these spots are rarely if ever used by bicyclists .     I suspect the actual reason they were installed because they take away two parking spots from cars?     What a terrible idea this is,  and about the last thing the SDOT should spend money on to support biking in the city.   

  • Alex November 16, 2020 (4:48 pm)

    The City made a big deal how shared scooters and bikes would monitored and audited  for compliance with parking rules this time around.   It doesn’t seem like that is happening in West Seattle.    They are being left on the grass, on sidewalks without the requisite 6 feet to go around them and on parking strips that are too narrow.   The disabled community has been awfully patient.

  • wetone November 16, 2020 (5:31 pm)

      Look up cost for new bike paths per mile in Seattle. Might be big eye opener for many……. Bicycles, scooters and mopeds should all be ID plated. For many reasons, help ID when stolen, involved in accident, reckless driving and more. Problem with Seattle government is zero accountability for so many groups and agendas. 

  • Judy November 16, 2020 (5:33 pm)

    I admire the sarcasm, Skeeter.  

  • Jack November 16, 2020 (6:26 pm)

    City (current and future) fees and taxes and ridership will determine the life of these scooters.  How many of these ride share (rent) have we seen come and go already?

  • Just wondering November 16, 2020 (9:33 pm)

    Would love to have some data. Let’s hear from you!  Ages?  Gender?  Where are you going ( work? Shopping locally? To get together with friends or family? Medical/dental appointments?  Other- please describe. ).  And comments about your experience using  these mobile devices plus any recommendations.  

  • Chemist November 18, 2020 (8:25 pm)

    In the scooter permit application, these companies were required to develop West Seattle service plans.  Has any of that been communicated to you WSBlog?   SDOT published the filled-out applications the bikeshare vendors did but hasn’t shared applications for any scooter vendors yet.

     The Vendor shall cooperate with the Program Manager in providing service for the West Seattle areas.
    (b) The Vendor shall provide an operational plan for connecting West Seattle to transit and ferry service, as well as connections to the Spokane Street Bridge. 

    • WSB November 18, 2020 (9:54 pm)

      The prior two brought scooters to West Seattle fairly quickly. I never did add it to the story above, but this one finally answered my question late in the day,

      Today we are starting with a very few Wheels devices out on the streets. The bulk of our fleet –almost more 2,000 devices— will be launched in the new year after we work out systems and staffing. New Covid 19 restrictions have caused some delays and for us to stretch out our initial deployment plan.

      When we spoke to riders in West Seattle, many people (at Alki event) said they would most likely want to take the foot ferry and use our devise in downtown Seattle to get to the office, hospital or bus to get to work. So, today, Brent has put some devises at the ferry terminal for those people. Over the next several weeks and months, Wheels will be fully staffed up and be rolling out more of our micro-vehicle fleet to more areas, including West Seattle.

  • alki_2008 November 18, 2020 (10:16 pm)

    With the city continuing to allow residential buildings with less than one parking spot per living unit, seemingly expecting that some people are not going to own a car, then these types of alternative transportation options become more desirable.

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