Neon-yellow, smart, sturdy and somewhat swift, LINK e-scooters are the latest way to get around Hartford.
Introduced on Earth Day as a convenient, no-emissions way to get around, there are about 80 scooters parked downtown, available for rental. A few hundred more will follow, spread out all around the capital city. To get started, all you need is the LINK app, a credit/debit card and a helmet.
Superpedestrian of Cambridge, MA, an MIT spin-off company, is partnering with the City of Hartford on the project. The company says the scooters are easy to handle, have a powerful "vehicle intelligence system" allowing the vehicle to self-monitor for maintenance problems, a battery that gets 60 miles per charge and a super-tough shell.
Speed tops out at 15 mph.
Free training trips and a helmet giveaway are set for Fri., April 23, from 11 am to 1 pm on Burr Mall, next to Hartford City Hall.
WTIC's Dave Mager went over the specs, the cost and how to rent a scooter with Paul Mondesire, Head of Policy and Community Engagement at Superpedestrian: