Alexandria Councilman Wants E-Scooters Temporarily Suspended

ALEXANDRIA, VA—A member of Alexandria City Council wants the city to suspend the dockless scooter pilot program until it can develop new rules to address safety concerns.

In a call for establishing framework on safety, Councilman Mo Seifeldein cited the Associated Press's report of 11 deaths relating to electric scooters in the U.S. since 2018—and some concerns seen in Alexandria. Alexandria's pilot program will expire in the fall if it's not ended sooner.

Alexandria's nine-month pilot program was approved in November and began in January. Scooter companies must submit a permit application and sign a memorandum of understanding that sets guidelines. So far, companies allowed to bring e-scooters into Alexandria include Lime, Lyft, Jump, Bird, Bolt, Skip and Spin.

Under the MOU, companies must follow guidelines such as providing minimum insurance coverage and informing users where and where not to park the scooters. In Alexandria, scooters cannot impede pedestrian access, obstruct access to fire hydrants, street furniture, crosswalks, driveways or private property, damage landscaping or other features, or interfere with traffic, bus stop operations or Capital Bikeshare use. Seifeldein said in a Twitter statement scooters have piled up on sidewalks, presenting a risk to pedestrians.

Seifeldein also expressed concerns about scooter users not following the rules on wearing helmets or riding on sidewalks, which is not allowed. Scooter companies are required to have a customer service line for complaints and other concerns.

The MOU states the city can impound the scooters if parking guidelines aren't followed. The companies are responsible for paying for the removal and storage of the scooters, as well as fines or other penalties. Alexandria Times reported that some scooters have been impounded. The city can also choose to terminate the MOU, but that hasn't happened yet.