ANN ARBOR, MI – Spin electric scooters are now officially up and rolling in Ann Arbor.

The Ford-owned scooter rental company held a launch event downtown Wednesday, May 1, partnering with the city and University of Michigan.

City and UM officials put on helmets and joined Spin and Ford Motor Co. representatives for a ceremonial first ride, cutting through a large blue ribbon in Liberty Plaza.

“This is really exciting for us to be here,” said Christopher King, Spin’s campus partnerships director, noting 200 scooters are being deployed.

Ann Arbor’s commitment to constructing protected bicycle lanes, starting on William Street this spring, makes it an ideal community to launch the scooters, King said.

The new Spin scooters, much like the Bird scooters that operated in Ann Arbor last year, are now scattered around the city and available for public use.

They’re $1 to unlock using the Spin app and 15 cents per minute to ride.

They stop and go with the push of red and green handlebar buttons, with a backup foot brake. Spin handles recharging them.

Unlike Bird, which is no longer operating in Ann Arbor, Spin sought cooperation from the city and UM before launching.

“We think this is going to be a success,” said Assistant City Administrator John Fournier, noting many people in Ann Arbor commute without a car.

“We think that these scooters will be embraced by the community, will be used safely, will be used actively, and we’re really excited to be able to bring this option not just to the city of Ann Arbor, but to do it in partnership with the University of Michigan."

On the Spin app, some UM campus areas like the Central Campus Diag and Law Quad are shown as red blocks where the GPS-equipped scooters are prohibited.

“Please do not ride here,” the app states. “We may have to suspend your account for repeated violations.”

Without naming Bird, King said he knows Ann Arbor and UM have been “burned in the past” by scooters that launched unannounced and without permission. The city ended up confiscating and impounding many Bird scooters for being improperly parked.

“We’re excited to serve as a trusted partner and work closely with the city,” King said, indicating Spin plans to integrate seamlessly into the community.

“For example, we’re going to use geo-fencing to enforce no-ride zones in pedestrian-heavy areas such as the Diag and the middle of U of M’s campus,” he said. “We’ll also work closely with Ann Arbor to add more no-ride or low-speed zones as needed.”

Instructions on the scooters tell riders to wear a helmet, ride on the road, yield to pedestrians, obey all traffic laws and don’t drink and ride. Spin provides free helmets to riders upon request, while giving a 30% discount on purchases of Overade folding helmets.

The scooters can be used on streets with speed limits under 45 mph, according to the city.

Per state law, the scooters, which travel up to 15 mph, can also be operated on sidewalks.

They’re not currently permitted in bike lanes, but the city is exploring an ordinance amendment to allow that.

“Riders should always be aware of pedestrians and yield to them where appropriate, taking care to avoid unsafe behavior and the potential for collisions,” the city advises.

Riders are instructed to park scooters where they will not block the public right-of-way, sidewalk traffic, access ramps and other pedestrian pathways.

Additionally, the city asks that riders keep parked scooters clear from driveways and fire hydrants.

Spin advises anyone who sees an improperly parked scooter to report it by texting or calling 1-888-249-9698.

“I’m personally excited as a resident and a university staff member to start riding the scooters,” said Lisa Solomon, UM’s planning and communications manager.

UM and Ford, Spin’s parent company, have a longstanding relationship, Solomon said.

“In fact, we’re collaborating right now on building a robotics building together on the university’s North Campus,” she said.

“And because of this relationship, we’ve been able to work really closely and easily with Spin over the last couple months to establish some commonsense guidelines for use of scooters on campus.”

UM expects to work with Spin and the city to ensure safe use as the scooters are deployed, Solomon said.

“Last year, when scooters landed in Ann Arbor, we heard from our students, as well as our faculty and staff, just really how fun they are to use,” she said.

“So, as a university, as we continue on an effective path toward carbon neutrality, we’re truly excited to be able to introduce these scooters. We hope that by piloting them, they offer the opportunity to help reduce congestion and vehicle trips.”

Calling it an innovative mobility solution, Solomon said scooter use data may help inform UM’s future transportation decisions.

“At Ford, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress,” said Jeff Jones, Ford Motor Co.’s North American vice president for city solutions, calling new forms of micro-mobility a key enabler of that in a fun and flexible way.

On campus, scooters should be parked at a bicycle rack or as near to it as possible, King said.

Spin’s approach to safety, he said, includes an anonymous tip line to report unsafe riding, having trained employees handle scooter maintenance, and suspending riders with five or more negative parking or riding reports.

New users can receive a $5 credit to their account using the promo codes SpinAnnArbor and SpinMichigan.