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SPIN seeks citywide scooter expansion in Fort Myers; council raises safety and enforcement concerns
Summary
SPIN presented ridership and failure‑scan data and asked to expand its service to city limits, double the fleet to 200 and extend nightly curfew to 2 a.m.; councilmembers warned of infrastructure gaps, enforcement costs and suggested phased expansion or no‑ride zones on specific streets.
SPIN requested council support for a Phase 2 expansion of its micromobility program and laid out usage data from the pilot phase.
The company’s representative told council members the program logged nearly 12,000 rides through November with about 5,100 unique users and estimated they had replaced "just over 3 metric tons of CO2" in that period. The vendor asked to expand the operating area to the full city limits, increase the fleet cap from 100 to 200 vehicles and extend the nightly curfew from midnight to 2 a.m. to capture late‑night demand and third‑shift trips.
"We are requesting an expansion of the fleet increase from the current 100 to 200 vehicles," the presenter said, and added that many failed scan attempts outside the current operating zone suggest unmet demand.
Several councilmembers pushed back on safety and enforcement. Councilperson Geraldo said the city lacks infrastructure and enforcement capacity and described personal close calls with scooters on sidewalks: "I feel very uncomfortable expanding the number ... it was a pilot approach, and I think expanding it will be irresponsible for us as a council at this moment." Councilperson Beauche also urged caution on adding vehicles or full citywide coverage, noting MLK and other major corridors have safety concerns.
City attorney Ali recommended a risk management analysis and noted sovereign‑immunity and liability implications, saying the city should evaluate liability protections before expanding. Staff and the vendor said they could work with council to limit riding in particular streets or lower speeds where appropriate.
No final direction or vote was taken; staff and the vendor left the workshop with instructions to refine proposals and consider phased, geographically targeted expansion and enforcement implications.
