The University of Akron and the City of Akron have partnered with Spin to help provide an alternative, sustainable, low-cost mode of transportation for students and Akron residents.

Spin is a dockless scooter-share company founded in 2016 in San Francisco that partners with universities and surrounding communities to provide scooters that students, residents and visitors can borrow to get around campus or their city.

According to their website, Spin has partnered with 42 cities and 16 college campuses, along with several other cities and universities around the world, with several goals in mind.

Spin hopes to “prove that micromobility is a powerful, transparent, and accountable ally in the fight against climate change,” while also removing more emissions than are produced, by the year 2025, according to their website.

In addition, Spin promotes safe riding practices and recommends that a helmet be worn when riding. Riders should also obey all traffic laws and University rules.

The partnership at UA allows students the opportunity to borrow scooters through the Spin app at a low cost in order to explore campus, as well as the downtown area of Akron.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said he is excited to bring this new mobility option to everyone in the Akron area. 

“Offering diverse transportation options is important to meeting the needs of the traveling public and building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming city,” Mayor Horrigan said in a press release. “Spin scooters allow users to explore the city and visit businesses and other destinations in a fun and affordable way.”

At UA, the scooters are located across campus near parking decks, residence halls and classroom buildings. A map of scooter-share locations can be found by downloading the Spin app or by visiting the Spin-UA Deployment Map.

Students can borrow a scooter by downloading the Spin app, or explore additional options available for those without smartphones or credit cards on Spin’s website.

For UA students, Akron residents and visitors using the app, it costs $1 to unlock the scooter by scanning the QR code on the top of the scooter and it costs between 29 and 39 cents per minute to ride.

Once the ride is complete, the scooter should be parked in a designated location, or at one of the preferred locations in the app to get 25 cents off of the next ride.

There is no cost to the City of Akron or UA regarding the partnership with Spin, as all costs and fees are covered by users of the service.

Spin is responsible for all equipment and operational expenses, as well as maintenance of the scooters, including nightly cleaning, disinfecting and charging.

Scooter-sharing is a new way for students to discover UA’s campus and surrounding areas, and UA President Gary L. Miller said it’s been popular since its arrival on campus.

“Spin scooters offer UA students and employees a new and enjoyable way to traverse the campus,” said Miller in the press release. “Our students were quick to adopt them as an additional mode of transportation. We hope they will also use the scooters to explore more of downtown Akron and experience what this great city has to offer.”

Any questions about the use of Spin scooters can be directed toward Downtown Akron Partnership ambassadors.