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March 31, 2021

Scooter-sharing service to expand to Hartford

A woman rides an electric Link scooter. Link plans to expand its scooter-sharing system to Hartford by April. Contributed | Link A woman rides an electric Link scooter. Link plans to expand its scooter-sharing system to Hartford by April.
By Zachary Vasile

An electric scooter sharing program is coming to Hartford.

In a statement on its website, transportation technology firm Superpedestrian announced the expansion of its Link initiative — designed to promote what it calls “micromobility”— to Connecticut's Capital City by April. 

The company says its discount ride-share program, known as Link-Up, will also be made available. That program is open to anyone who qualifies for assistance programs administered by the city of Hartford, state of Connecticut, or federal government, according to the statement.

Superpedestrian is currently advertising free scooter rides to COVID-19 vaccination appointments in Hartford. Residents who already have an appointment scheduled and have an account with Link can register at www.link.city/hartford.

Superpedestrian bills its electric scooter fleet as the most advanced in the industry, with greater durability than competitors and a lower center of gravity to assist users in maintaining their balance.

The vehicles also use a technology known as “geofencing,” which automatically enforces speed limits in low-speed areas and brings the scooter to a gradual stop if the rider steers onto a sidewalk or other pedestrian walking path.

According to Superpedestrian’s website, Link already operates in 13 U.S. cities, including Columbus, Ohio, Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah.

The company also has a presence in several European countries.

Hartford has a complicated history with non-automotive ride-sharing programs.

In early 2019, Limebike, a bicycle-sharing service, ended an eight-month pilot program in the city. The company did not say why the initiative was discontinued, though some Hartford officials speculated that a combination of stolen and vandalized bikes and a lack of opportunity to expand into e-scooters likely played a role in the decision.

One year later, the Capitol Region Council of Governments signed a contract with bike-sharing startup Zagster. CRCOG officials said Zagster bikes would be made available first in Hartford and then a number of surrounding communities, but the plan never came to fruition.

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