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Oct 23, 2024

UTA brings Veo electric scooters, bikes to campus | News | theshorthorn.com

UTA is partnering with Veo to provide rentable electric scooters and bikes around campus. Veo deployed an initial fleet of 300 vehicles Oct. 17. Transportation has remained a topic of discussion

UTA is partnering with Veo to provide rentable electric scooters and bikes around campus. Veo deployed an initial fleet of 300 vehicles Oct. 17.

Transportation has remained a topic of discussion throughout Arlington for years, with UTA becoming a focal point for the conversation. Following demand from the student body, Mavericks now have a way to zip around campus.

UTA's partnership with Veo provides rentable electric scooters and bikes around campus. The year-long pilot program offers Mavericks and visitors a convenient, sustainable way to navigate the university.

The Cosmo e-bikes feature large tires and a low center of gravity that don’t require riders to stand or pedal. The Astro scooter is a stand-up scooter used for short trips around campus.

Veo offers two pricing options: a $5.99 monthly subscription charging 39 cents per minute while riding or a $1 charge to unlock the vehicle and 39 cents per minute.

The program comes just over a year after the Arlington City Council approved an ordinance allowing the use of micromobility devices on UTA’s campus and much of the downtown area, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.

Between 2017 and 2022, UTA piloted several bike share programs but had limited success due to the initiatives being strictly on campus operations; only being allowed to use bikes, per the city ordinance prohibiting motorized scooters; and a lack of regulatory framework for shared micromobility.

Jeffrey Hoover, Veo director of government partnerships, said there are currently 300 vehicles — a mix of bikes and scooters — and 80 parking locations on campus. Veo plans to deploy another 100 in the future.

The new micromobility program is a result of an expressed need for more transportation options to help alleviate traffic and decrease the number of vehicles on campus.

Veo’s foundational mission is to help cities, universities and urban areas by improving mobility options, allowing people to reach critical destinations without a car, Hoover said.

Veo was already successful in locations such as Texas A&M University, and the company saw potential in a partnership with UTA.

“We’ve sort of kept an eye on this university and the City of Arlington for quite a while,” Hoover said.

Veo has experience revitalizing universities with defunct bike share operations, such as UTA, with new vehicles and more environmentally friendly practices, he said. The company aims to ensure those universities can find a new partner.

Computer science freshman Sujit Shrestha, left, and computer engineering freshman Subash Gurung, right, look at the Veo mobile app Oct. 17 at UTA. For vehicle use, riders must download the app.

Veo was founded at Purdue University, making university partnerships essential to the company's success. Hoover said universities are some of the densest, most walkable environments available, presenting ideal locations for Veo’s services.

In finding a micromobility partner, UTA issued an open call for companies to submit proposals. Several competitors in the industry responded, but Veo was ultimately selected.

Hoover said the City of Arlington and UTA operate in different legal jurisdictions with Veo. While Veo has a contract with UTA, they also have a license with the City of Arlington.

Veo provides the university with a 24/7 dashboard that displays ride totals, heat maps showing where rides start and end, and data on common paths of travel and unique vs. repeat riders. This allows the university to analyze the overall usage and impact the vehicles have around campus.

Hoover said Veo uses geofences, virtual boundaries set up around specific areas, to help manage vehicle operations. The geofences can trigger different actions when riders cross them, helping enforce safety guidelines.

Veo electric bikes and scooters arrive throughout campus on Oct. 17. An initial fleet of 300 vehicles are currently in use, with plans to deploy another 100.

Depending on the university's guidelines, the system can reduce the vehicle's speed, stop it completely or create dismount zones. In these zones, vehicles slow to 3-4 mph, requiring the rider to walk. This approach helps ensure safety for pedestrians in busy areas.

Hoover said Veo also offers an education mode within the app that allows riders to maintain a slower speed for as many rides as they choose, helping them practice safely. The standing scooters are unique because they have front and rear suspension, improving how they handle road bumps.

Veo has a maintenance process to ensure every vehicle is safe and functioning properly, Hoover said. Each time a technician touches a vehicle they conduct a field inspection that tests the brakes, lights and throttle.

If issues are found, technicians will fix the problem or send the vehicle back to the warehouse for further repairs. In addition to inspections, each vehicle follows a scheduled maintenance plan based on usage.

Physics junior Anish Sharma said he found a Veo scooter by the Maverick Activities Center and decided to try it out.

He said the scooter can go pretty fast and is open to using it again, but he still plans on mainly riding his skateboard. He said the price is fair, but other pricing options could be beneficial.

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