Pilot program tests e-scooter parking

Need to charge up your electric scooter? The Austin Transportation Department has partnered with the electric charging platform Swiftmile to test free e-scooter parking and charging in downtown Austin. The charging stations are “part of a two-phased pilot program dedicated to testing the usability of the company’s universal scooter parking and charging stations. This pilot will observe how effectively the stations influence user behavior in managing sidewalk organization, increasing accessibility, and improving the availability of charged scooters,” according to a news release from the city. The pilot is now in phase two of a six-month project and will be active through January. During this period, Austinites may park and charge their scooters for free at these Swiftmile charging stations.