Gotcha scooters arrive Monday: What to know about using the scooters at MSU, Greater Lansing

Sarah Lehr
Lansing State Journal
Gotcha e-scooters, photographed at a promotional booth on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.

EAST LANSING — What has two wheels, one set of handlebars and is rolling into Greater Lansing?

The rideshare company Gotcha will be dropping its electric scooters on Michigan State University's campus Monday, and has plans to deploy more scooters throughout the rest of East Lansing and Lansing in coming days.

Here's what you need to know.

Where can I ride the scooters?

You can ride the scooters in bike lanes or on the right hand side of driver lanes, just as long as you follow the rules of the road.

The scooters are prohibited on sidewalks on MSU's campus, but allowed on sidewalks elsewhere in East Lansing.

MSU trustees set regulations on campus, but East Lansing City Council controls scooter use in the rest of the city.

In Lansing, e-scooters are banned on downtown sidewalks, but permitted on sidewalks outside the downtown area.

Michigan State University student Alex Blitstein, left, asks Gotcha e-scooters CEO Sean Flood, center, and operations manager Todd Werner questions about the service at a booth on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, on Campus in East Lansing.

Where can I park the scooters?

If you end your ride on MSU's campus, you must park the scooter in one of the special areas, known as "mobility hubs," the university has marked for e-scooter parking.

East Lansing City Council has approved additional "mobility hub" locations for parking Gotcha scooters in the city's downtown. 

In the rest of East Lansing and in Lansing, riders must park the scooters upright on a hard surface surrounded by at least five feet of unobstructed sidewalk. 

Who can ride the scooters?

To unlock the scooters, you must be at least 18 years old. Gotcha tells its riders to wear a helmet, but in practice few e-scooter riders wear them.

How much does it cost to use Gotcha scooters?

It costs customers $1 to unlock a Gotcha scooter via a mobile application and 15 cents for every minute after that.

Alternatively, MSU students, faculty and staff have the option to pay Gotcha $24.99 a month for one hour of scooter use each day.

A detailed look at the handlebars on the Gotcha e-scooters at the company's booth on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, on the Michigan State University Campus in East Lansing.

How much is Gotcha paying MSU?

Gotcha signed a deal with MSU in late August, which grants the company exclusive rights to license scooters on campus.

The South Carolina-based company has agreed to pay MSU a $15,000 licensing fee through December 2019 plus 10% of its user fee revenue from on-campus rides.

How many Gotcha scooters will there be?

Gotcha's agreement with MSU allows the company to deploy up to 300 scooters on campus. The company has plans to deploy up to 300 more scooters throughout the Greater Lansing region. 

A detailed look at the grip tape riding platform on the Gotcha e-scooters at the company's booth on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, on the Michigan State University Campus in East Lansing.

Where are the other scooter companies?

Last fall, the startups Lime and Bird dropped their scooters in Greater Lansing, then pulled their vehicles from city streets over the winter.

Those companies, however, did not re-launch their scooters in the area once the snow melted in spring 2019. It's possible Gotcha's exclusive deal with MSU could be driving competitors from the region.

In the 42-page agreement, MSU agrees to prohibit people from using or parking any e-scooter other than a personally-owned scooter or a Gotcha brand scooter on MSU's campus.

Both Gotcha and Lime have licenses from East Lansing, allowing them to deploy scooters in the city outside MSU's campus.

Lime representatives did not answer a question Friday afternoon about whether the company plans to re-launch locally. 

Gotcha has a license to operate in Lansing and Lime received a license Monday afternoto deploy its scooters in the capital city, City Clerk Chris Swope said. 

Contact reporter Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.

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