BOISE — There is a new way to zip around town in Boise.
The dockless shared-transit companies Bird and Lime dropped off their electric scooters overnight.
The e-scooters cost $1 to unlock, and 20 cents per minute to use. Users must download either the Bird or Lime app before riding.
The app requires riders to input their credit card information, scan a driver’s license, and verify the rider is at least 18-years-old.
"To get around downtown I think it would be kind of awesome," said Danielle Malais as she was about to hop on a scooter in downtown Boise.
Ryan Durham and Luc Graff both work at St. Luke's downtown and were riding the scooters on their lunch break.
"I think it’s great, it's probably quicker to get around here than a car," Durham said.
"We're on our lunch break and we were just going to drive down and get some lunch, but we were like hey we should try out these new scooters, they are right down the road from us," added Graff.
Most people downtown thought the scooters were pretty affordable.
"It's pretty cheap, like I was surprised how cheap it was, it’s pretty sweet," said Boise resident Gage Miller.
Danelle Holt likes the idea of using a scooter on her commute to and from work.
"For me, I park about five blocks that way so this morning when I saw them I'm like, 'cool I can cruise on in,' but I had to download the app first, so it will be nice to commute back and forth on these," Holt said.
The scooters go up to 15 mph and can be ridden in a number of areas, including on streets, in bike lanes, on the sidewalk when necessary and on the Greenbelt.
"They go fast, you definitely have to watch out for pedestrians and cars, but they get you to where you want to go quickly," Durham said.
Both Bird and Lime encourage riders to wear helmets, but it is not required by Idaho law.
The City of Boise held several educational events this week to discuss the rules and safety concerns surrounding the use of e-scooters.
You can park the scooters anywhere except in places that obstruct the sidewalk or parking spaces.
The Bird app makes users take a picture of how the scooter is parked once you are done with your ride.
"I think it’s great if the community takes care of them, in other cities they have had issues where they haven't taken care of them, but I think Boise will do a good job of maintaining them and taking care of them," Durham said.
Each night Bird and Lime employees collect the bikes and put them back in places where they are easily accessible.
The companies also analyze which spots work best to drop the scooters off.
Boiseans have a couple months to zip around on the scooters before winter weather hits, the scooters don't operate well in the snow.
"This is awesome I am definitely going to take advantage of it," Holt said.