Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray quietly rolled his little black motor scooter into a spot in the city's Prince Street Parking Garage on Wednesday, removed his helmet and was on his way to the office.

Well, almost. First, Gray had to stop and have his photo taken.

The mayor is hoping that other people will follow his example and ride scooters to work in the city.

As part of his strategic plan to encourage alternative forms of transportation, the mayor and the Lancaster Parking Authority quietly unveiled 15 free parking spaces dedicated to scooters in the downtown parking garage.

The small spaces are on two sides of the garage's curving exit ramp. The area had not previously been used.

Gray is promoting the use of scooters as a means of saving fuel, reducing air pollution and traffic congestion and easing tight parking.

"It's the future, and we see more and more scooters in town," said Gray. "I see no negatives and all positives."

Along with scooters, which can get more than 100 miles per gallon of fuel, the city is also encouraging the use of motorcycles and bicycles.

Tom Matthews, the Parking Authority's executive director, said the Prince Street garage is being used for a pilot program.

"We'll see how they're used," Matthews said of the scooter parking spaces. "If they're not used heavily, we'll add motorcycles."

If they are used, the Parking Authority will consider adding scooter spaces to its three other garages. It may also add designated scooter and bicycle parking areas to the new garage now planned for the 100 block of East King Street, he said.

It will not be as easy to add the scooter parking to the King Street, Duke Street and Water Street garages, he said, as there is not as much "dead space" going unused.

The scooter spaces — along both North Prince and West Orange streets — were actually painted on the garage floor about two weeks ago, said Matthews said. A few scooter riders have already used them.

The official unveiling was waiting for the preparation of liability agreement and stickers.

"It's so we know whose bike is whose, and if somebody damages it, we can give you a call," Matthews said. Scooter parkers must also agree to some standard garage rules, such as not doing maintenance work on their vehicles in the facility.

In exchange, the scooter riders can park their vehicles under cover with out charge. Parking spaces for other motor vehicles in the garage are leased for $60 per month.

The stickers are on a hanger, the same as ones that would go on a car's rear-view mirror. Matthews said some scooter owners didn't want to put the stickers directly on their bikes.

Gray didn't hesitate. The oval sticker, number 001,went right on the front of his scooter.

"It's a start," Matthews said.

CONTACT US: bharris@LNPnews.com or 481-6022