Micromobility

Town Board members approved a law to address use of electric bicycles and gas-powered dirt bikes on bike paths and walking trails. Police can now issue fines or impound vehicles being used illegally.

With possible state changes ahead on electric bicycle rules, the city’s mayor and a City Council member will meet with a state assemblyman on the topic. Lawmakers are at work on measures regulating the devices.

Ridership in the U.S., Canada and Mexico rose more than 30 percent year over year as the industry takes hold, according to the North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association’s sixth annual ridership report.

In answer to growing concerns about distracted riders, starting Aug. 19, the University of Miami will not allow students or staff to take scooters, e-bikes or hoverboards through pedestrian-heavy areas of campus.

A new report from StreetLight Data shows the direct correlation between urban density and the level of walking and biking that residents do. Both are increasingly viewed as key pieces of the transportation ecosystem.

Rule changes from the Oregon state legislature mean electric bicycles in three classes are now legal for use on park roads – and along any trails that allow standard bicycles. They were previously limited to trails eight feet or wider.

The board of directors at The Woodlands, north of Houston, will reexamine usage of electric scooters and bicycles. It could define more specifically vehicles allowed on its pathways — or ban them.

Micromobility offerings in Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., will soon include electric cargo bikes capable of transporting up to 100 pounds. More device types and expanded infrastructure are intended to drive usage.

The city launched its 12-month e-scooter pilot program over Memorial Day weekend, allowing private and shared electric scooters to operate on designated portions of the Shoreline Pedestrian Bike Path.

State officials working to make amends for botched rollouts of a long-delayed electric-bike program have introduced new vendors to manage the next application period.

Commissioners in the state’s most populous county are considering regulating electric bicycles and scooters, in a bid to crack down on “reckless behavior.” Another goal of the measure is defining the vehicles.

The city said it has impounded 38 electric scooters parked on sidewalks, and rental companies may face fees. Vendors questioned the timing but said they are working with officials and will follow the rules.

Municipalities in California, Colorado and Washington are working toward a deeper understanding of what goes on at their curbs, to solve persistent problems related to parking, congestion and deliveries.

The demands of parcels coming and going, and other stressors at the curb, are prompting cities to design new approaches to managing these spaces. Often, they are turning to data and technology for support.

A pilot project to introduce a shared electric scooter program in Eugene, Ore., eased the devices into the community, with considerable public outreach to address concerns around parking and cluttered sidewalks.

A project to explore use of the small, electric vehicles could be paused by a recent federal memo. Its funding source is a grant from the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

The City Council is considering a proposed policy on electric bicycles that would classify them as a “non-motorized use” permissible on trails open to other bikes. Civic leaders, however, say residents should get to vote.

The U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has awarded funding to 25 projects, to advance the use of electrified urban transportation. The money is intended to expand at-home charging and electrified fleets.