Meet Leighton!
You may recognize this person emPOWERing Princeton from council meetings, community events, our eCommuter Fest, or seeing him riding around town on his scooter! If you have not, meet Leighton! Leighton Newlin is a very involved member of the Princeton community and his preferred method of transport is on his electric scooter.
Meet Scoot!
Now meet Leightons sidekick Scoot! Scoot is the name of Leightons scooter that he has been riding around town for two and a half years. He first decided to get his scooter when he was retiring and joining the council. He saw the scooter as a quicker way to get around town because you don’t have to struggle to find parking. Not having to pay for gas or maintenance was also a plus! When he was deciding which e-mobility option to choose a scooter seemed like a better option than an ebike as he was getting ready to have two hip replacements but his only criteria was that it had a seat. Leighton later realized Scoot allowed him to have a lot of fun and be much more engaged in the community.
Engaging with the Community
Leighton first was interested in getting a scooter for the convenience but found that it has given him so much more especially as a member of council. He spoke on this saying, “You see more, you interact more, you notice more, you see some of the transit/walker/rider/pedestrian related problems. You can actually know what streets are more dangerous than others because you see it and are apart of it.” This has helped him to be completly immersed and engaged with the community.
Leighton also engages himself and his scooter with the community by exposing cars and motorists to his scooter. Where he still feels safe to do so he is, “Growing more and more bold with where I will ride.” Not all roads may be safe for ebikes and scooters to join but where they are Leighton feels it is important to expose the cars to them so they know to be aware of them and to share the road with them.
Did you know?
People on bikes and scooters are more likely to stop into shops. Leighton shared this sentiment pointing out how much easier it is to stop into places to shop and talk with others.
Kindness Campaign
Because of the increase in ebikes and scooters there has been talk around town about how to keep pedestrians, riders, and drivers safe. Leighton’s suggestion is to start a Kindness Campaign. He shares, “No matter what type of mode of transportation you are, no matter what age you are, you exhibit kindness and you give respect to people that are walking”. It is important that everyone feels safe and engaging the community in a Kindness Campaign is a great start.
Picture taken on Halloween 2023.
Leighton's Advice
Some advice Leighton wanted to share was to think about where your riding, make sure you feel safe riding there and to always lock it up. He shared the responsibility that comes with having e-mobility, “You have to pay attention on the scooter because you don’t want to get hurt and you don’t want to hurt anyone.”
If you have been thinking about trading in your car for a bike, ebike, or scooter check out these resources:
Shop local! There are many small, local bike and scooter shops in the area, check them out and ask them questions to be sure you choose the right emobility option for you.
