After a brief hiatus, e-scooters will soon be returning to Downtown St. Louis — with some restrictions.
Les Sterman, the chairman of Citizens for a Greater Downtown St. Louis, told KMOX's "The Show" that the absence of scooters did have an impact on quality of life downtown after being banned in an attempt to reduce late-night and weekend crime.
"When they were banned, those activities stopped overnight, and things were immediately better, you know, reduced the gunfire and other kinds of unruly activity," Sterman said.
He added that despite the companies' good intentions, scooters are often misused downtown.
"The theory advanced by the scooter companies is that this is a good thing for cities, because it takes automobile traffic off of the streets," he said. "And you know, it's fun, it's great for people who don't have another mode of transportation to get to work. But the fact is that, you know, if you spend any time downtown 95% of people ride the scooters, it's purely recreation."
Plus, he said, the rules set weren't often followed — like the age restrictions and parking laws.
Les Sterman talked with "The Show" about scooters, abandoned cars, and more. Listen:
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