Burlington electric scooter program on hold

A plan to have electric scooters zipping around Burlington has hit a speed bump.

The pilot program is on hold because Vermont lawmakers wanted more clarity about how the scooters will be regulated.

Burlington City Councilor Max Tracy says some of the major questions included: Where will riders be allowed to go? What will the scooters be classified as on the roads? And will there be a curfew to prevent drunk scootering late at night? Officials also discussed whether riders will be required to wear helmets.

"One of the arguments for having a mandatory for helmet requirement is to help prevent any head injuries that we've seen in other communities," Tracy said. "On the contrary, in an argument against those, is that it creates a barrier to use because it becomes less viable as a transportation option for folks."

Tracy says the city will continue to look into bringing scooters to Burlington sometime next year, but Gotcha Bike Services is lending 200 e-bikes to the city in August or September.