Mobility Scooters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Looking for a mobility scooter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina — to buy or to rent? Winston-Salem is the Twin City, a Piedmont place of tobacco and arts history, home to historic Old Salem and the UNC School of the Arts. For a scooter rider the draw is the greenways — a long, flat, paved creek trail running out of downtown — and the caveat is Old Salem’s cobbled streets. The winter is mild, so you can ride much of the year. This guide covers the fares, the greenways and Old Salem, the Piedmont winter, how North Carolina’s new Medicaid pays, and the models that suit it. Polaris Mobility earns a commission on qualifying Amazon purchases through links on this page.
- Rated ~25 mi range
- 10″ wheels for rough ground
- Folds for the car
- ★ 4.4 rating
Winston-Salem gives you a long paved greenway to cover and some genuinely rough historic surfaces to negotiate, so the features that earn their keep are range and bigger wheels. The Glashow has the longest rated range of our four for the 5-mile Salem Creek Greenway, and its 10″ wheels take Old Salem’s cobbles, the Strollway’s pea gravel and the city’s Piedmont grades better than the smaller models. It also folds to lift into a car. Two honest caveats: its 265 lb limit is the lowest here, so check it fits you, and it has fewer owner reviews than the Golden below. If you want maximum stability, the highest capacity, and a brand service network, the Golden Buzzaround EX is the sturdier alternative.
On Medicare or North Carolina Medicaid? Read the funding section — the state expanded coverage in 2023.
A dollar, and half that for seniors
- Trans-AID is the door-to-door service. WSTA’s Trans-AID shared-ride paratransit, for older adults and riders with a disability who cannot use the fixed-route bus, is just $1.00 one way, or $10 for ten rides and $30 for thirty. Apply and check eligibility on 336-727-2000 before you need it.
- A scooter plus a fifty-cent bus fare covers the city cheaply: own the scooter for the greenway and the errands close to home, and let WSTA carry the distance and the hilliest trips.
Salem Creek Greenway, and Old Salem’s caveat
- The Salem Creek Greenway is the ride. Five flat, paved miles give you real distance to cover on smooth ground away from traffic — the reason range earns its keep here.
- The Strollway is part paved, part pea gravel. The 1.2-mile trail into Old Salem mixes pavement with pea-gravel sections that are bumpier on small wheels, so take it slowly and check the surface.
- Old Salem is cobbled. The restored Moravian streets are beautiful but hard on small wheels, so go slowly there or park the scooter and stick to the smooth greenway for distance.
A mild Piedmont winter
Paying for it: North Carolina’s new Medicaid, and Medicare
- 65 or older? You are on Medicare. Part B may cover a scooter if a doctor confirms the need and you use a supplier that accepts Medicare (Medicare.gov).
- Under 65 with a disability? North Carolina Medicaid covers disabled adults and can pay for medically necessary equipment such as a power wheelchair or scooter through an enrolled provider. Apply, and ask about durable medical equipment.
- Under 65, expansion group? Since December 2023, adults up to about 138% of the federal poverty level can qualify on income — do not assume you are shut out.
Because Medicare and Medicaid work through approved suppliers, a scooter bought on Amazon is a separate out-of-pocket purchase — the right choice if you do not qualify, or would rather not wait. Confirm current criteria directly, as they change.
Comparing options across the state? Our North Carolina mobility scooter guide covers statewide Medicaid and Medicare details, the best models for the local climate and terrain, and how the picture changes from city to city.
Renting vs. buying a mobility scooter in Winston-Salem
In a mild city with a long paved greenway on hand, an owned scooter does real work most of the year — and buying within a couple of months is usually cheaper than renting.
- Keeps costing you. A travel scooter runs roughly $100 to $200 a week depending on model (Scootaround), so a month of regular use is several hundred dollars.
- You hand it back — it never becomes yours.
- Not fitted or sized to you.
- Reasonable for a short visit or a festival weekend.
- Pays for itself fast. A one-time purchase; after a few weeks of what renting costs you are ahead — and you keep the scooter.
- It is ready whenever you are — and Winston-Salem’s mild climate means that is most of the year.
- It folds and comes apart for the car — for a trailhead at Salem Lake or an appointment.
- And it may be funded. If your need is medical, Medicare or North Carolina Medicaid may cover an approved device.
Bottom line: if you live here, buy — a scooter with the range for the Salem Creek Greenway and the wheels for Old Salem’s cobbles and the Piedmont grades, that folds for the car. Check first whether Medicare or North Carolina Medicaid will fund it.
Who needs mobility support in Winston-Salem
14.8% of Winston-Salem residents are 65 or older — 37,084 people out of 250,887 — a little below the national 16.8%. Its disability rate, 12.6%, sits just under the national 13.0% as well (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023, 5-year).
So the case for a scooter in Winston-Salem is less the demographics than the ground and what it opens up. Thirty-seven thousand seniors, plus the residents living with a disability, share a city with a long paved creek greenway running out of its downtown and a mild climate to use it in. The errand that is now too far becomes an easy trip, and a morning on the Salem Creek Greenway is a genuinely good day out. Old Salem’s cobbles ask for care, but the greenway is smooth and level, and a scooter with the range and the wheels handles both.
Best mobility scooters for Winston-Salem (2026)
Picks weighted for range on the Salem Creek Greenway, bigger wheels for Old Salem’s cobbles and the Piedmont grades, and folding to load into a car. Specs are per manufacturer listings; confirm current details and price on Amazon.
| Model | Wheels | Max rider | Top speed | Owner rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glashow S1 Folding ★ Top pick | 10″ (4-wheel) | 265 lb | 6.2 mph | 4.4★ (46) |
| Golden Buzzaround EX Sturdiest | 9″ (4-wheel) | 330 lb | 5.0 mph | 4.7★ (verified) |
| Aotedor Lightweight Best on a budget | 7″ | 300 lb | 3.7 mph | 4.5★ (277) |
| Pride Go-Go Sport | 3-wheel | 325 lb | 4.7 mph | 4.4★ (109) |
4.4★ (46 ratings) · 10″ wheels · rated ~25 mi range · 265 lb limit
Why Winston-Salem: the longest range for the Salem Creek Greenway and bigger wheels for Old Salem’s cobbles and the Strollway’s gravel, and it folds for the car. Check the 265 lb limit, the lowest here.
4.7★ (verified owners) · 9″ wheels · up to 330 lb
Why Winston-Salem: the highest rating and capacity here and four-wheel stability — the comfortable, dependable choice for a full day on the greenway. Comes apart for a car boot.
4.5★ (277 ratings) · folds compact · up to 300 lb
Why Winston-Salem: the cheapest and most owner-reviewed here, light to lift and easy to store — a good budget fit for the flat greenway and shorter trips, kept off the cobbles.
4.4★ (109 ratings) · compact · up to 325 lb
Why Winston-Salem: a tight turning circle for indoor use — shops, clinics, the house. Four wheels are steadier once you are out on the greenway.
Watch: the Buzzaround EX, our sturdiest pick
An independent walkthrough of the Golden Buzzaround EX — the sturdiest alternative to our folding top pick — showing the four-wheel frame, seat, controls and how it comes apart to transport.
Video: Golden Buzzaround EX review (YouTube). Polaris Mobility is not affiliated with the reviewer.
Compare more 4-wheel models · full catalog
Winston-Salem mobility scooter FAQ
How much is the bus for seniors in Winston-Salem?
Half fare. The Winston-Salem Transit Authority’s regular fixed-route fare is $1.00, and riders 65 or older or with a disability ride at half fare, $0.50, with a free WSTA ID card, any Medicare card, or a city-issued Senior Citizens Card. For door-to-door trips, WSTA’s Trans-AID shared-ride paratransit is just $1.00 one way, or $10 for ten rides and $30 for thirty; apply and check eligibility on 336-727-2000.
Where can you ride a mobility scooter in Winston-Salem?
On the Salem Creek Greenway, above all. It runs 5.2 flat, paved miles on an eight-foot path from the edge of downtown out to Salem Lake, following the creek past parks and a wetland. The shorter Strollway rail-trail links downtown to historic Old Salem, but it mixes pavement with pea-gravel sections that are bumpier on small wheels, so take it slowly. Old Salem itself is cobbled, beautiful but hard on small wheels, so go slowly there or stick to the smooth greenway. The greenway is level, so distance is easy.
Does North Carolina Medicaid cover a mobility scooter?
It can. North Carolina turned on Medicaid expansion in December 2023, so adults up to about 138% of the federal poverty level can now qualify on income, and North Carolina Medicaid covers disabled adults and can pay for medically necessary equipment such as a power wheelchair or scooter through an enrolled provider, so ask about durable medical equipment. If you are 65 or older, your route is Medicare instead. Either funded route goes through an approved supplier, so a scooter bought on Amazon is a separate out-of-pocket purchase.
What is the best mobility scooter for Winston-Salem?
Our top pick is the Glashow S1 Folding, because Winston-Salem’s Salem Creek Greenway rewards range and its rougher historic surfaces reward bigger wheels, and the Glashow has the longest rated range of our four on 10-inch wheels that take Old Salem’s cobbles and the Strollway’s gravel while folding to lift into a car. Its trade-offs are a 265 lb weight limit, the lowest of the four, and fewer reviews than the Golden Buzzaround EX, which is the sturdier alternative with the highest capacity and a brand service network. On a budget the Aotedor is a genuine choice for the flat greenway, kept off the cobbles.