ASBURY PARK - By now you've probably seen the new electric scooters zipping up and down city streets.

They've been the big hit since a pilot program began earlier this month. They've also generated some backlash over safety concerns, city officials said.

So revisions and new safety measures are being implemented.

Effective Wednesday, the maximum speed for the e-scooters was lowered from 15 mph to 12 mph.

Users now also are required to scan a copy of their driver's license before using the app, to confirm they're at least 18. The SPIN app requires users to read safety information before each ride.

Last week, identification numbers were applied to each e-scooter so people can report users exhibiting what the city calls "bad behavior." Violators face suspension from the program. The video above details some of the program.

The e-scooter program is administered by the company Zagster and its partner SPIN.

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Asbury Park Transportation Manager Mike Manzella said ridership has been "very strong," with nearly 800 rides a day taking place on weekends. Manzella said he was aware of one injury involving a rider that required medical attention.

He did not elaborate on the circumstances.

"We are taking the public's feedback," said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn. "One of the things we kept hearing is about the scooters going too fast."

Quinn said the city also received complaints about minors operating e-scooters and people riding them on sidewalks, which is illegal.

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But Quinn said she was happy about the strong ridership numbers and said the e-scooters have helped to unite and connect portions of the city. "I am seeing young people from all over this city and that is a delight to me," Quinn said.

The e-scooter rides are sold through a phone app, costing $1 to unlock and 15 cents for each minute of use. The e-scooters are "geo-fenced," which means the GPS-based software shuts down the motor if you a user go beyond certain parameters. The software makes the e-scooter shut down if the user tries to ride it on the boardwalk.

"We are addressing violations when we see them," said Sgt. Michael Casey, a spokesman for the Asbury Park Police Department. "If we encounter somebody who’s doing something wrong, we’re first inclined to do something about it and educate them. If we find someone who is a repeated offender we may issue a summons."

City officials have promoted the e-scooters as an alternative to driving in Asbury Park, where finding a parking space is difficult during weekends and summer season. The pilot program, which debuted with about 80 scooters, is expected to roll out a total of 250 during the next year.

Jess Alaimo, 32, who lives in Asbury Park, said she has ditched driving her car to work, deciding the scooters are a better option. Her daily commute to her job on Bangs Avenue costs around $2 each way.

"The scooter is cheaper than paying for daily parking," Alaimo said.

Russell Lewis, 53, who owns Watermark, a beachfront bar and lounge on the boardwalk, said he doesn't mind the reduced speeds for the e-scooters.

"I don't gun the scooter the entire time," Lewis said.

He said he's seen a number of young people on the scooters around the city, but said he can't easily tell their age.

"I don't think they're actually looking at the rules," he said.

E-scooters have helped him navigate the congested streets of Asbury Park during peak traffic hours, he said. Instead of waiting for parking he drops the e-scooter off at a docking station

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Joe Grillo, who sits on the Asbury Park Board of Education, said he's used e-scooters frequently since the program debuted.

On Wednesday, he used an e-scooter to travel to Convention Hall and then used one to make his 7 p.m. board meeting at Bradley Elementary on Third Avenue.

"I never touch my car anymore when I'm home," Grillo told the Press. He said he wants the school district to have an assembly this year on e-scooter safety.

Last year, Americans took 38.5 million trips on shared scooters in more than 100 cities, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), a nonprofit organization, according to a USA TODAY report.

Those trips accounted for almost half of the 84 million trips – more than doubled from 2017 – taken on “shared micro-mobility” options that also include station-based bikes and dockless bikes.

As people look for ways to get around congested cities faster, e-scooters have gained in popularity. But their emergence has drawn criticism that the vehicles are risky both for riders and pedestrians.

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Some cities, such as Chicago, launched pilot programs for sharing scooters in June, eyeing the potential to ease congestion and pollution brought by cars. Portland, Oregon, launched a 120-day pilot program last year and a one-year program this year that started in April.

New York State passed a bill in June to legalize the vehicle, though renting them is prohibited in Manhattan; you have to own one to ride it, USA TODAY reported.

Some cities have balked, at least for now.

Last month, Chattanooga, Tennessee, issued a six-month ban of the conveyance. San Francisco and Beverly Hills once took similar approaches. Nashville's mayor called for a ban on the vehicle following the city's first scooter-related death, but the Metro Council rejected the plan; the legislative institute decided to reduce scooter fleets instead.

Virginia Beach also recently voted to ban the e-scooters at its Oceanfront, the Virginian-Pilot reported.

USA TODAY contributed to this report. Austin Bogues spotlights the changing development scene in Asbury Park and Neptune. You can reach him at 732-643-4009 or abogues@app.com. Consider supporting local journalism by purchasing a subscription to the Asbury Park Press.