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Annapolis has new ride options to get around parking-strained downtown

The city has electric bikes, electric scooter, trolleys and more.
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Posted at 5:31 PM, May 17, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-17 17:31:36-04

ANNAPOLIS — Annapolis is a thriving city in the summer.

However, more tourists means more strain on an already parking-strained city.

Annapolis has partnered with Via and Bird for a new way to get around, since parking is an even bigger problem.

The Hillman Garage on Main Street is closed for construction, and the project is expected to take 14 months.

The city has electric bikes, electric scooter, trolleys and more.

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All you need to do is download the Annapolis Go app.

“The via mobility app, which is an on demand app, for $2 you can go anywhere around the city," Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said. "That mobility app is part of the budget for the garage. So, it's included. It doesn't come directly from the taxpayers. It's paid from the deal we have done on the garage.”

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After you download, the app the first two rides are free.

Mayor Buckley said this is all about changing our habits.

“The idea is to create new habits with different mobility,” Mayor Buckley said. “Make the mobility part of the fun you have when you visit the city of Annapolis and you want to do it again with your family, your friends, with your kids, with your partner.”

This new ride possibilities come at a perfect time of the year when the breeze of the Severn River is pleasant and Annapolis is in full swing on the water and throughout the town.

“Slower, in a trolley, on a bike, walking, all those things are a great way to see the city,” Buckley said.