Bozeman is 1st Montana city with electric scooters

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Bozeman became the first city in Montana to have electric scooter ride-sharing. On Thursday, 65 scooters went live in downtown and the fairgrounds.

Lana Kitto first tried an electric scooter in San Diego -- on heels.

"The minute I saw the scooter and was still able to move in my dress clothes and have less impact on the environment, that was a no-brainer for me," she said.

Kitto said she was sold on them in a blink.

Fast-forward a few months later, and she's created Blink Rides. Her company has invested in over 100 of them, and they've brought them to Bozeman, where Kitto lives with her family.

"If there's one thing Bozeman is, it's very conscious -- we're a very conscious neighborhood, and when you look at what scooters can replace and how that last mile mobility or travel can relieve the congestion -- it's a no-brainer," she said.

The ride-share system will work through an app, with drop-off points throughout the city.

Kitto says she waited for and invested in a heftier model scooter.

"Some of the key things are our wheel size is actually 10 inches, the competitors are 8 inches. Our base is 40 inches, theirs is much less. We have a dual braking system, so it's mechanical as well as electronic, so it gives you a smoother stop," she added.

The city of Bozeman established some rules -- no using them on sidewalks, and helmets are encouraged.

"The question is keeping that safety. We've seen from other cities a lot of head trauma incidents. That's not something that we take lightly; it's a big, big problem, because if a 2,000-pound car hits you, it's a problem," said Deputy Mayor Chris Mehl.

"There are different sized scooters. The smaller ones fall in a grey area, so, for example, Missoula was approached about a different sized scooter, and they said they wanted to wait, but the Montana Code, which is what governs this for us, says this size scooter is a vehicle," he said.

For Kitto, micro-mobility is the new wave of how to move people.

For more information on Blink Rides, click here.