BRANSON, Mo. – Elevate Branson is rolling out a new program to help supply reliable transportation to those in need. My City Rides Branson will soon have dozens of scooters zooming around the streets of Branson.

The first step to getting the keys to one of the new scooters is attending Scooter School. The day-long class is one Christie Schubert has been waiting for.

“I’m very excited!” Christie said. “I’ve been wanting one of these for over a year now.”

Since October, Christie has been walking to work and back home — 45 minutes each way. A matte black scooter is dream come true.

“It’s open, it’s freeing and it’s wheels,” Christie said with a laugh. “I’m not walking.”

The first step of qualifying for My City Rides Branson is to be employed with a partner employee. Those accepted to the program will take care of the gear, training and logistics. Taking care of the necessities helps students take care of business, including the paperwork and classes.

For Christie, this means a lot.

“This means freedom,” Christie said. “Getting to and from my appointments with not having to find a ride. Without having to beg somebody for a ride. It means independence. It means taking care of my stuff and meeting my goal.”

My City Rides Branson is based on a similar program in Memphis called My City Rides Memphis. By the end of the summer, Branson will have 50 new scooters rolling around. My City Rides Branson is part of Elevate Branson. Elevate Branson exists to help the housing, transportation and workforce crises locally.

You can learn more about the program at Elevate Rides – Elevate Branson.