SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. —Rian Bradley works at Bella Brava on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg. 

All day long, he watches people pass by.

“It’s a lot of walking and Ubers,” said Bradley.

But soon, visitors and locals could have another way to explore the city.

“It should be a good compliment to being able to walk and bike,” said Evan Mory, transportation director with the City of St. Petersburg.

He’s talking about e-scooters.

They’ve already been introduced in several cities in Florida, including in Tampa.  

Between May 25, when they launched in Tampa, to June 11th, there were nearly 51,000 ride rentals, which city officials say is telling.

“I think most people that are using the scooters are really happy they have them as a transportation option,” said Jean Duncan, transportation and storm water management director for the City of Tampa.

Officials in Tampa are all about trying new things to see what works, and the scooters have been a hit. 

But in St. Pete, officials are pumping the breaks.

They want to make sure every concern is addressed and every detail is ironed out before bringing the scooters here. 

“The two biggest concerns we hear that we are trying to address directly is having them not laying all over the place, and the second thing is, we really don’t want them on our sidewalks,” said Mory.

They also would like to limit the speed to 15 miles per hour, and prohibit them past 10 o’clock as a safety precaution. 

Which is valid. In Tampa, there have been a few accidents, one of which was fatal. 

But Tampa officials say as long as they are used responsibly, the e-scooters can be a great addition to many cities. 

“We really want people to use these safely and responsibly. Because if it becomes unsafe, we don’t want to have to eliminate it from a choice that we have for our residents,” said Duncan. 

With that in mind, they might pick up speed here in St. Pete, too.

“They’re cheap, they’re fun, they’re really quick and easy!” said Bradley.

The scooters could roll out in St. Pete as soon as the fall or winter. 

They will be discussed at a St. Petersburg city council meeting on July 25. 

Anyone looking for more information is urged to attend.