Revised E-Scooter Program Proposed To Alexandria City Council

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria City Council will consider approving a phase two pilot program regulating dockless mobility devices, most commonly known as electric scooters. City staff developed recommendations for the revised program, which council will consider on Dec. 14.

The revised program could more strictly regulate e-scooter companies and riders. Since the pilot program began in January, the city has heard various public concerns with e-scooters, such as improper parking, unsafe riding and the complaint reporting process.

Staff recommend stricter requirements for the memorandum of understanding, which e-scooter companies must sign before their devices can operate in Alexandria. One proposed change could require companies to rebalance devices in Alexandria's different neighborhoods, addressing concerns about equity and access.

Another staff proposal calls for limiting scooter use on sidewalks in the King Street corridor between the waterfront and King Street Metro station. Across the city, riders would be allowed to ride on sidewalks unless specifically banned in that area, similar to the bicycle policy. A 15 mph speed limit is recommended on streets, as well as a one-rider-per-device policy.

The city and companies been working to address resident concerns through geofencing and parking corrals. Geofenced areas where e-scooters cannot be parked, such as Market Square, Waterfront Park, City Marina and the area under construction outside the King Street Metro. Parking corrals are designated on-street parking spaces for e-scooters. Current locations are limited to Old Town Alexandria and appear in e-scooter companies' apps. Additional parking corral locations could become part of the revised pilot program.

If approved, the phase two pilot program would run through December 2020. The current pilot program was extended through the end of 2019 to give staff time to evaluate and develop a revised program. Companies with permits to operate in the current pilot program are Lime, Lyft, Jump, Bird, Bolt, Skip and Spin.

Residents can continue to provide feedback on e-scooters by emailing dockless.mobility@alexandriava.gov. For more about the program, visit www.alexandriava.gov/DocklessMobility.