At their March 11 meeting, the City Commissioners will vote on introducing an ordinance amending the City’s e-scooter program.
“The proposed ordinance would provide rules and regulations applicable to all participants of the micro-mobility device program in order to protect health, safety, and welfare,” staff reports.
The e-scooter pilot program began in May 2019 and is scheduled to end in April 2020. The City Commissioners will vote on two vendors to continue micro-mobility device services in Tallahassee at their April 8 meeting.
Micro-mobility devices could include e-scooters, electric bicycles, and more.
Ordinance No. 20-O-09 includes guidelines for device operation, including yielding to pedestrians and wearing helmets. The ordinance states that vendors must inform customers how to operate and park devices on their websites.
The ordinance also includes guidelines for regulation of the program by the City.
“Florida law authorizes the City to regulate streets, sidewalks, and sidewalk areas within City jurisdiction,” staff reports.
According to the ordinance, the City will remove or relocate devices that are damaged, improperly parked, unattended on public property, blocking ADA accessibility, or non-compliant with the operating agreement.
Additionally, staff reports that the City will require a permit fee and a device fee from the two selected vendors before they can deploy their devices. According to the ordinance, these fees will be used to offset the City’s costs for monitoring and maintaining the program.
If the Commissioners vote to introduce the ordinance, a public hearing will be scheduled for March 25, 2020.
I really think that along with a credit card to sign up with the e-scooter app, one should also be required to enter their driver's license #. Many companies in other cities do this to ensure that the riders are at least 16 years of age and have knowledge of driving rules. That way we won't have 10 yr old boys riding scooters or e-bikes on Thomasville Rd, Monroe St, or Tennessee St at 5pm. The first time we have an accident with a kid on a scooter and we will have the program cancelled. Let's do this right upfront. Requiring a driver's license ensures some level of competency.
A friend and I regularly walk from the Capitol to the FSU Student Union and back as a lunchtime exercise break from our desk jobs. We walk along College Avenue, and it's very common to see electric scooters lying on their sides in vacant lots, on a street corner, sidewalk, or wherever the last user left it. It appears many people simply use a scooter and throw it aside when done. That part about the city "relocating" may be a very busy job.
ok joe, keep us posted on the city getting paid back for infractions- will there be any payola as part of these 'fines'?
So... taxpayers will be picking up the tab for a private industry's negligence, haphazard operations, and subsequent liability.
Yep... typical Democrat government MO
https://www.talgov.com/Uploads/Public/Documents/place/e-scoot-agreement.pdf
The existing ordinance says there is a charge for the city relocating any scooter. The new ordinance should have the same language.
Let me know who gets sued when the first little old lady, homeless person, or someone looking for a lawsuit lottery trips and falls over a scooter that the City was suppose to remove or relocate... per the Ordinance that is...
Are the Scooter Companies receiving ANNY Funding from the City, County or State? Did they in the beginning?