Fort Myers postpones vote on e-scooter program expansion

The city of Fort Myers has postponed voting on Phase II of the Spin e-scooter program, which could bring more scooters and longer operating hours to the area. Ahead of Monday's meeting, residents shared their opinions on the proposal. Heiry Alvarez, a Fort Myers resident who has been riding e-scooters for years, expressed support for the expansion. "You know, I feel like it is a good idea, just because it's the area that there's a lot of people already walking and there's a lot of cars and just riding around with the scooter by the park and stuff like that, just it's good for the community," Alvarez said. The Spin e-scooter service began operating in Fort Myers one year ago, and Phase II would double the current fleet of 100 scooters to 200. Additionally, daily operating hours would extend by one hour, allowing rides until 1 a.m. instead of midnight. Jeff McDermott, a Lee County resident who works downtown, said he hasn’t seen many scooters in use but doesn’t mind the expansion. "I'm at an office downtown, so I'm downtown all the time. I think it's OK as long as they respect the folks that are just trying to walk downtown," McDermott said. McDermott also emphasized the need for stricter regulations if the program were to expand. "I think as long as they're well-behaved and they're honoring the rules of the road, right. But I think that there should be strict enforcement for those who don't," he said. City officials and Spin representatives have not provided additional details about the proposed changes for Phase II. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.