City Implements E-Scooter Program, Hartford, CT, 2021

The City of Hartford has implemented a new e-scooter program, LINK. Since Earth Day, people in downtown Hartford have been able to borrow e-scooters at a starting cost of $1 plus 36 cents per minute. Customers who receive federal, state, or local assistance through programs like Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are eligible to receive a 70% discount through the LINK-Up program. The LINK e-scooters are activated for rental by scanning a QR code through a smartphone app. So far, the program has been successful as the fleet has expanded from 100 to 150 vehicles since first beginning operations on Earth Day.  LINK’s service area has also expanded from just Hartford’s downtown area to the entire city-proper. Superpedestrian, a micromobility company, is the technology provider for LINK.

Hartford opted to start this program after phasing out a bikeshare pilot about two years beforehand. The bikeshare pilot was popular and indicated a demand for a longer term micromobility system in the Hartford area. E-scooters, if implemented appropriately, can be an important tool for peoples’ first and last miles on their transportation journeys.

Last updated June 15, 2021