GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (KDVR) — If you’re tired of seeing scooters and e-bikes cluttering up sidewalks and walkways, that is set to become a thing of the past in part of the metro.
A new technology created by a Norwegian company to manage the parking of those scooters was just launched this week in Greenwood Village and Centennial.
Thomas Braten says thousands of scooters littered the streets of Oslo, Norway, a few years ago.
“It was making chaos,” Braten said.
He and his business partner, Igor, took it into their own hands to do something about it. Sparkpark is their solution, a Bluetooth-sensing antenna that detects where rentable scooters and e-bikes are parked and ensures they aren’t left in busy walkways.
“Off the grid, it’s wireless. Solar cells on top, so no need for charging,” Braten said.
Already launched in cities like Madrid and Dublin, the first program outside of Europe is right in Greenwood Village.
“We are so grateful to have Denver South to test this first system in the whole North America,” Braten said.
Micro-mobility companies excited for new technology
Jimmy Gilman with Spin, the company that provides scooters in the area, says they’re excited to use Sparkpark’s technology.
“Considerations and concerns with parking are really the top things that flair up with a micromobility program,” Gilman said.
Daniel Hutton, Vice President of Transportation and Mobility for Denver South, agrees.
“We’ve got to find a way to manage the curb space,” Hutton said. “Manage where these things go so people aren’t tripping over them, so people who need access are able to get it.”
It’s an issue Centennial mayor pro-tem Mike Southerland says they’ve been looking for a solution for since scooters came to the city.
“There are people who are disabled and in wheelchairs that may not be able to navigate around a bunch of scooters,” Southerland said.
He calls Sparkpark a game-changer.
“It really helps cities keep things organized, off sidewalks, off streets, off people’s front yards,” Southerland said.
It’s a game-changer Braten hopes makes a difference.
“Hopefully, we are bringing the missing link in the whole picture,” Braten said.
There are five of those antennas up currently, and there will be ten in the coming weeks, which Sparkpark provided for free for the first year of the program.
Right now, there’s no penalty for leaving scooters outside of the parking area while they collect data in the initial launch of the program, but incentives may come in the future like waived fees for leaving scooters under those antennas.
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