Streetcar Authority Doesn’t Want Scooters to Wind Up in a Rut

By Kevin Collison

They’re both electric, they’re both a cool way to get around downtown and they’re both on the same street.

But when it comes to whizzing down Main, the Kansas City Streetcar Authority doesn’t want scooter riders to wind up in a rut–literally.

That’s why the Authority is launching a campaign later this month called “Respect the Rail.” Like bicycles, those skinny scooter wheels can easily slip into a streetcar track groove and the result could be not so cool.

“We have no reports of accidents directly,” said Donna Mandelbaum, the spokeswoman for the Authority, “but they’re a lot on the street and close to our tracks.

“We get nervous because they can get caught in rails”

An image from the soon-to-roll out Respect the Rail video. (Image from Pilgrim Animation)

With the financial and marketing help of Bird, the first electric scooter operator to hit town, the Streetcar Authority has produced a 30-second video to be released later this month.

It warns scooter riders about the perils of paralleling rails, and gives advice on where to park their scooters when they bring them on the streetcar, which is perfectly OK.

“We’re encouraging people to use bike lanes or another street without tracks,” Mandelbaum said.

“We’re also asking people to roll their scooters onto streetcars and find space in the middle section. There are less seats and its more free for people to stand with their scooters.”

The Authority also asks scooter riders not to leave their temporary rides parked inside streetcars or on streetcar loading platforms.

The video was produced by Pilgrim Animation of Overland Park and will be seen on social media and Smart City kiosks throughout downtown.

Streetcar Executive Director Tom Gerend demonstrates the right way to roll. (Image from KC Streetcar Authority)

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