If you know how and where to park your electric scooter safely, properly, and legally, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
Where to park electric scooter?
Park your electric scooter in city-approved areas such as furniture zones, bike/scooter racks, or designated parking zones to comply with regulations and avoid penalties.
Let’s see how to park your scooter right.
6 tips on how to park your electric scooter outside
These are some practical tips to help you park your scooter easily and properly.
Check where you’re allowed to park itRisk: freeDifficulty: easyCost: freeAny e-scooter rider has the responsibility to comply with the regulations and laws adopted by the city or country they live in concerning electric scooter parking.
Be considerate towards other road usersRisk: freeDifficulty: easyCost: freeBefore you park your electric scooter and leave it unattended, make sure you assess the parking space.
Find a suitable parking spaceRisk: freeDifficulty: moderateCost: few minutes of your timeWhen looking for a parking space for your electric scooter, opt for city-approved areas like furniture zones, bike/scooter racks, or designated parking zones. Ensure compliance with local regulations to avoid penalties.
Know what areas you shouldn’t use as a parking spaceRisk: freeDifficulty: easyCost: freeo not park in pedestrian walkways, driveways, or restricted zones.
Park it properlyRisk: freeDifficulty: easyCost: freeMost cities require electric scooters to be parked at e-scooters or bike racks, covered bike parking areas, or as near as possible to the curb of sidewalks.
Lock itRisk: freeDifficulty: easyCost: 15-50$ for lockbesides locking certain components of your scooter, make sure you secure it to an e-scooter rack, a bike rack, or a tall post as well for maximum protection against theft.
Check where you’re allowed to park it
While each country enforces different regulations and rules on the parking of this vehicle type, they almost all allow parking e-scooters at bike racks and in the furniture zone of sidewalks.
One paper has found that Los Angeles requires scooter riders to park their two-wheelers on sidewalks that are 3 feet wide at the minimum.
Contrary to this, in San Francisco, e-scooter users are required to park their scooters on 9-feet wide sidewalks.
Moreover, the study shows that although most cities in the U.S. allow e-scooters to be parked in the furniture zone of sidewalks, some cities, such as Sacramento and Phoenix, forbid this.
So, to make sure you always park your two-wheeler legally, you need to get familiar with all the local regulations and rules by reading them online or learning them from a government resource.
Be considerate towards other road users
Think about whether leaving your ride there will cause other drivers and pedestrians any inconvenience. For example, check if your parked electric scooter blocks any residential or commercial building entrance, bus stop, driveway, curb ramp, or crosswalk.
If it does, be mindful of others and look for another parking space where it’ll be legal and considerate to leave your scooter. In this way, you’ll never need to worry that you might get fined or banned from riding it for several months as a result of improper, illegal parking. Also, you don’t have to worry about an irritated person whose movement you’ve interfered with damaging your scooter.
Find a suitable parking space
Appropriate parking spots for electric scooters include:
- designated e-scooter parking zones
- the furniture zone on sidewalks
- e-scooter or bike racks
- areas that aren’t cramped with vehicles or pedestrians
- areas that don’t block crosswalks
- areas that don’t limit accessibility for other road users around
Know what areas you shouldn’t use as a parking space
Keep in mind that there are certain areas and places that most cities do not allow to be used as parking spots for electric scooters. These areas include:
- private property
- curb ramps
- wheelchair access ramps
- handicap zones
- emergency exits
- bicycle lanes
- driveways
- in the way of other vehicles
- residential and commercial building entrances or exits
- against building facades
- a garage entrance or exit
- at corners
- loading zones
- utility boxes
- public drinking fountains
- near fire hydrants
- transit stations and stops
- landscaped area
Park it properly
Scooters should be also arranged in the same row as adjacent fixed objects, like trash cans, posts, or trees. In this way, they won’t obstruct the way on the sidewalks.
You should always park your e-scooter upright on a stable, flat surface, and lower the kickstand to prevent it from toppling. You also need to make sure that if your scooter accidentally falls, it won’t fall in the area of the sidewalk or street where people will walk or other vehicles drive.
Note: A scooter lying sideways or flat on the ground on sidewalks can be a serious hazard for all pedestrians, especially individuals with limited mobility and visual impairment.
Lock it
Electric scooters have been growing in popularity, but so has electric scooter theft. If you don’t secure your scooter when you park it outside, someone can easily steal it once you turn your back.
Therefore, make sure you always secure your e-scooter using solid, durable locks. There’s a variety of locks you can choose from, each with its own advantages and flaws.
How to park your electric scooter during cold weather?
Most e-scooters use a lithium-ion battery that works by transferring electrons and ions between the two electrodes. Cold temperatures can affect or even stop these electrochemical processes, thereby reducing the performance and lifespan of the battery. This, in turn, reduces your scooter’s range.
So, when you need to park your e-scooter outside in cold weather, make sure you cover its entire deck with a heated, waterproof, and insulated cover or blanket.
Can you leave rental scooters anywhere?
When ending your shared e-scooter trip, avoid bus stops, entrance/exit ramps, and no-park zones. Never leave it flat on the ground or blocking sidewalks.
Opt for furniture zones, and e-scooter/bike racks for parking. Ensure it’s upright for the next user’s convenience.
Tip: If you want to find out more about how to use and park shared e-scooters, check out this article here.
