Micromobility

Once an overlooked part of the urban landscape, the curb is now considered hot real estate in many cities. The demands of delivery services, ridesharing and micromobility have cities re-examining how they manage their assets.

Scooter companies like Lime and Bird are introducing new products to the micromobility landscape in a number of cities. Meanwhile, New York City is introducing its first scooter pilot project.

One California community is taking another look at where electric bikes are allowed. The devices have surged in popularity and fly in the face of signs warning “no motor vehicles or motorized bicycles.”

A federal district court in southern California has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s collection of real-time trip data from shared mobility providers.

Spin is introducing remote-operated scooters in Boise, Idaho, an indication of the kinds of tech upgrades the devices are acquiring as they re-emerge in cities following the COVID-19-induced slowdown.

Spin says the debut of its S-200 model in Boise will mark the first three-wheel electric scooter in the United States, and eventually, customers will be able to use a phone app to order a scooter to their location.

A report finds that micromobility grew quickly from 2018 to 2019, though it remains concentrated in relatively few cities. Local governments have also found ways to curb problems such as improper parking and inequity.

Planners with Yellowstone County and the city of Billings commissioned a feasibility study earlier this year to investigate whether a scooter-share or bike-share program would work here.

The city said public safety complaints from residents are behind the decision to halt on-demand rentals. City officials will meet with Dallas residents, businesses and vendors to discuss potential changes.

Electric scooters could finally hit Seattle streets, more than a year after Mayor Jenny Durkan said she was open to allowing the devices that became commonplace in cities like Portland and Austin.

Electric scooter businesses in Vancouver, Wash., are seeing a rise in demand amid the pandemic. Zoot Scoot and Rev Rides are two local businesses giving customers the option to take to the streets on scooters.

Boulder is trying to attract a dockless bicycle-share provider, one including some electric-assist-style vehicles in its fleet that might be able to partner with a current nonprofit operator in the city.

Minneapolis is expected to vote on a proposal that would allow two vendors to deploy scooters as soon as July 1, even as the issue over whether they will be required to have locking devices remains unsettled.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation's collection of trip data for shared e-scooters and similar on-demand devices is being challenged as a government overreach in federal district court.

The city of Ann Arbor has renewed its agreement with Spin Inc. to bring its electric scooters back to the streets. The company has created a sanitation plan to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Using a collaborative, fast-paced development process, the city’s public works created a way for residents to open up neighborhood streets for safe and healthy exercising while maintaining social distancing.

A fleet of remote-operated scooters is being deployed and tested in Peachtree Corners, Ga. The pilot program was set to launch earlier this year, but the novel coronavirus delayed those plans.

Planned to start in August or September, the pilot will start with about 400 to 500 stand-on scooters, 200 bicycles and 100 sit-down scooters. The pilot will take place in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods.