Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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Implementing an e-scooter project requires community involvement, careful marketing, and strong organization.
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The topic of shared e-scooters is often associated with narratives that focus on the negative aspects of a shared scooter program. Concerns about clutter, safety hazards, and rider negligence come to the forefront of many conversations. How do you flip the conversation and implement a successful e-scooter program in your community?
Waterloo is a community located in Iowa with a population of approximately 67,000 people. Not a big city, but not a small community. Residents struggle with wanting amenities and features of a big city, but feeling we are not big enough to justify having them. Our downtown spans approximately seventy blocks and has a river running through the middle. There are numerous attractions to explore including retail shops, restaurants, museums, sporting and recreation, and parks. We are constantly looking for ways to unite both sides of the river, connect the businesses, and make visiting and traveling around downtown easy and fun.
Members of Main Street Waterloo looked for ideas to create a park-once-and-walk district. We found examples at Main Street Now conferences and by visiting other communities. Most recently, multiple organizations along with our neighboring community of Cedar Falls, and the nearby University of Northern Iowa had come together to research shared bike programs. The Main Street Waterloo team was drawn to the concept of e-scooters, but questioned if the community would embrace a shared e-scooter program.
To test this idea, we worked with the mayor to explore different e-scooter companies, researched how programs have worked in other communities similar to our size, and unofficially surveyed community members to see if they would use a shared e-scooter program. Through our conversations and research, we determined this could be a great opportunity for our community. Understanding what the community needed, what the community wanted, and what a company was able offer helped make us successful in the launch of our program. Main Street Waterloo worked closely with city staff, business owners, and the e-scooter company to write licensing verbiage and ordinances. The Fleet Manager, hired by the e-scooter company, became an integral part of the team, as well.
1. Set clear limitations. We recommend setting a maximum number of shared e-scooter companies you want to allow in your community and setting a maximum number of e-scooters you want to allow between all of the companies. Define these in the licensing verbiage. Whatever company you decide to work with should have data to help you determine how many companies and how many e-scooters work best in a community your size. This was not clearly defined when writing our program and had to be updated shortly after our launch.
2. Understanding the benefits of a shared e-scooter program is an important key in launching. Being able to share facts and data with critics allows you to shift the conversation quickly. A shared e-scooter program has the potential to solve transportation and mobility issues in communities. They can expand access to public transportation, reduce our environmental footprint, and save money. For Waterloo, we focused on solving the last-mile problem: providing transportation outside of public transportation operating hours, helping visitors get to and from events, and connecting riders to businesses on both sides of the river, effectively eliminating the need to re-park. With such a large downtown district, the scooters really shine in covering the distances that some feel are slightly daunting to walk.
3. Use local media to make your case. We launched a few weeks after a neighboring community had a terrible e-scooter accident, so many were looking for the reasons not to move forward. We worked with the local press, community access TV channel, and the city’s communications department to push out facts about shared e-scooter programs before the launch. By the time we hosted the launch, people were excited about the project and couldn’t wait to try out the e-scooters.
4. Get your stakeholders involved early. We began communication with downtown businesses as soon as we determined this was a feasible program for our community. Business owners were invited to be on calls with the company as we determined what the rules for our community would be. As soon as the Fleet Manager was hired, we connected him with business and property owners so they felt they had somebody they could reach out to. We make a point to communicate information about the e-scooter program throughout the year, not just at the launch, to remind the community of safety tips and the rules.
5. Host a launch and safety event each year. This is an opportunity to announce when the e-scooters will be back on the road, educate the community about the e-scooters, and provide the riders who are nervous about trying them an opportunity to get trained from a professional. This is a great time to get the press involved and have a positive story about the program. We involved our elected officials and community leaders in the event to demonstrates the support of the city, accessibility, and ease of use. Many of the e-scooter companies will partner with you to give away free helmets during the event—a great way to incentivize use and rider safety.
6. Find someone local to lead the program. The number one factor in Waterloo’s program being successful has been the Fleet Manager. The e-scooter company hired a Fleet Manager who is a local community member and is dedicated to making sure the program is successful. The Fleet Manager deploys, charges, repairs, and manages the fleet of e-scooters. Through this opportunity, the Fleet Manager has become a small business owner. The success of his business is determined by the success of the program. We were thrilled to partner with him to move his operations to a downtown location and be able to provide him with the opportunities our downtown business owners have.
Our Fleet Manager makes sure he is visible to the community. He visits each business and speaks with them about having scooters parked in front of their stories and continues to develop relationships, adding more launch locations each year. He has made a point of following up with the businesses to ensure they are happy with the e-scooters. His efforts are reflected in the support shown to him by the businesses, the lack of complaints we receive, and having only lost 2 e-scooters in 3 years to the river.
Waterloo’s e-scooter program did not launch without issues, but the prework we did helped minimize the troubles and our Fleet Manager has worked to eliminate issues. Each year, we evaluate and improve the program. We are working to expand our ride zones to better serve the community and have been hosting e-scooter tours to showcase and experience the energy and culture of our downtown. E-scooters have made it fun and easy to connect both sides of the river and encourage the "park once" mentality we have been striving for. They have been one more way we are making Downtown Waterloo a destination for residents and visitors. Learn more about Main Street Waterloo's e-scooter program here.
Hestia Creations, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter's Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the products and services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here >
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
Learn how micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street with examples from local programs across the network.
This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
Miami, FL © Matt Alaniz
Learn how Bainbridge Island Downtown Association leverages their connection to the ferry to create a walkable and vibrant downtown.
Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
An innovative artistic project brings new life to the alleyways in Billings, Montana.
Billings, MT © Downtown Billings Alliance
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
Lansing, Michigan © Lansing 5:01
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Learn how you can harness design principles and strategies to create a cooler, more welcoming downtown.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
Leeds, AL © Jeremy Dove
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
Coon Rapids, IA © Main Street Coon Rapids
Pollinator gardens are fantastic ways to increase green space, promote sustainability, and educate your community on the local environment.
Crofton, MD © Kerry Kelly
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
Learn how these outdoor microspaces can contribute to more vibrancy in our public spaces.
Chairman Emeritus Ed McMahon explores the power of place in creating spaces people love.
Boise, ID © christiannafzger
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Intentional placemaking has had many unexpected benefits for this Alabama town.
Wetumpka, AL © Jenny Sue Stubbs
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
Mount Airy Downtown, Inc., celebrated the return of their Market Street Arts and Entertainment District (MSA & ED) last weekend, as part of their pandemic recovery efforts.
Mount Airy, NC © Robbie Curlee
A vacant storefront is the perfect stage to creatively promote the available space or to showcase other businesses and events in the area.
Ripon, WI © RetailWorks, Inc
Interested in creating a StoryWalk in your downtown commercial district? Read on to learn more about installing a successful story walking trail.
In remembrance and in honor of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., over 900 streets in the United States were named after him. Many are located predominantly in African American communities.
Milwaukee, WI © Historic King Drive BID
Dubbed the Blues Alley, the Ripley Main Street program plans to install murals of local pioneering Black blues artists, cutout guitars painted by local art students, and blues lyrics painted on the walls.
Ripley, MS © Ripley Main Street
The Downtown Newton Development Association (North Carolina) partnered with the City of Newton on a temporary tactical urbanism project to demonstrate how their permanent streetscape improvements will benefit downtown.
Over 500 people braved the misty rain this past weekend to come and celebrate Painesville and its Made on Main Street community transformation project.
Wilson Artsy Alleys is an initiative of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation which takes the arts to new locations in forgotten places.
In October 2017, Main Street Ottumwa collaborated with local partners, Main Street Iowa, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Better Block Foundation to stop planning, talking, and wishing, and start doing.
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance created a cool, family-friendly public gathering space in “the worst looking spot in town” with the help of just $2,500 in Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge matching grant funds,
A collaborative effort launched between Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) and vertical farming company, Plenty, looked to blank downtown walls as a canvas for growing food, creating conversation, and activating overlooked spaces.
From walkability and transportation connectivity, to access to nature and availability of fresh food, place is inextricably linked to achieving positive health outcomes in rural America.
Beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower fountain through Main Street Paris's new Love Lock Fence.
Kasey Drummond, Glenrock Main Street Director, explains how they brought the acclaimed graffiti artist ARCY to their Main Street and explores the work he produced in three additional Wyoming communities on his summer tour.
Karen Dye, Newkirk Main Street's program manager, was inspired to “make downtown more fun and festive” with painted water meter covers after learning about the practice at a recent Main Street Now conference.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In this article we’ll explore the process of planning, funding, installing, operating, and enjoying music on your Main Street.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
How one Wyoming Main Street implemented a free bike share program.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
Street pole banners preserve the historic character of main streets while fostering community awareness and engagement.
With strong community support, the Library Foundation was able to raise over $1.2 million dollars in private donations.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
A key goal of the Atlanta Streetcar is to attract investment to and revitalize the neighborhoods along the streetcar alignment.
