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Electric Scooter Update.
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Staff:
Department:
Rae Buckley, Director of Organizational and Strategic Initiatives
Town Manager's Office
Steve Lehew, Lieutenant
Police Department
Sarah Poulton, Downtown Special Project Manager
Town Manager's Office
Tiffanie Sneed, Senior Legal Advisor
Police Department
Overview: On August 23 and 24, 2018, Bird distributed 90 electric scooters at locations around the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC) campus. Bird removed the scooters on August 24, 2018 after UNC and Town representatives requested the removal. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Council with information about electric scooters including local and state considerations and the actions taken by other municipalities who have also had electric scooters distributed in their jurisdiction without prior authorization.
Recommendation(s):
That the Council receive this information and provide feedback or direction to the Town Manager about what further steps or information the Council would like staff to pursue.
Key Issues:
* An electric scooter (scooter) is powered by a gas or electric motor. Recently, this type of scooter has been introduced by companies that use apps to allow users to rent by the minute. Scooters can reach speeds up to 25 mph. Most companies hire residents to gather scooters at night, charge them in their homes, and redistribute them to specific locations in the morning.
* Bird distributed 90 electric scooters in Chapel Hill on August 23 and 24 before they withdrew them from service by request. In that time, there were 1,316 rides taken by 720 individuals.
* Electric scooters can provide "last mile" service and may decrease the use of automobiles on short trips.
* Local considerations about electric scooters include concerns about safety, sidewalk clutter, enforcement, and oversight. At a state level, there are questions about whether electric scooters should be classified as vehicles and the registration an...
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