On Oct. 21, Blue Duck Scooters moved onto Wofford’s campus. The addition of Blue Duck Scooters seemed like an easy decision, as scooters have been a popular means for transportation for many Wofford students in the past few years.
Blue Duck had only recently partnered with the City of Spartanburg, and the company has had its eye on Wofford ever since the legitimization of the partnership with the city earlier this year.
Dan Deeter, Wofford’s director of business services and risk management, noted that Blue Duck had reached out to Wofford in April of this year, prior to them having signed a contract with the city of Spartanburg.
Together, Blue Duck and Wofford met to discuss their potential partnership agreement and Wofford campus maps, while assessing how popular and well received the scooters were in the city of Spartanburg.
“After weighing the benefits, we decided to sign a trial partnership agreement through the end of the fall semester,” Deeter said. “We continue to meet with Blue Duck to manage and evaluate the program. Adjustments may be made in scooter numbers and locations as the program matures.”
Adela Coffey ’22 was at Wofford’s Blue Duck launch party October 12 in front of Old Main.
The launch party included a group ride, demonstration and giveaways.
Coffey said that she had ridden Blue Ducks many times and was excited to hear that they were coming to Wofford.
“They are fun, easy and a cheap way to get around town,” Coffey said. “It costs about $5 to get from downtown to campus, and they offer a sense of reliability, especially with Ubers being so hard to get nowadays. I will definitely be riding the scooters much more with them on campus. They make me feel like a kid again,.”
Another benefit of the addition of the scooters to campus is that it eliminates the need to find parking, one can simply just park the scooter wherever on campus, so it is ready for the next person to ride.
The scooters can also present a more affordable option, especially for the many students who do not have reliable access to a car while on campus.
An article published on Wofford’s website notes that the scooters are $1.25 to unlock, and $0.30 per minute after unlocking.
The scooters require riders to download the Blue Duck app which contains a map and a GPS system, which riders may find to be helpful. Before riding, one must complete an online safety tutorial and be over the age of 18.
Dylan Goshorn ’22, Campus Union president, was one of the many students who were in full support of the possibility of adding a new means of transportation to campus.
“Wofford’s partnership with Blue Duck was an extension of the rollout of the scooters that started over summer downtown,” Goshorn said. “The goal is that students can use the scooters to travel across campus quickly between classes or meetings.”
Goshorn added that the scooters can provide students with a great way for students to take a fun break by going on a ride.
It seems that the Blue Duck Scooters have been well received by both Wofford students and members of the campus community alike.
One can hope that this partnership and the addition of alternative transportation measures will continue in the future – making Wofford’s challenging academics and course rigor, more fun.
