Chattanooga is riding the brakes into the world of electric scooters. 🛴
After months of discussion + observation of how the rollout has gone in other areas, City Council members are considering a revised ordinance for dockless bicycles and electric scooters.
If passed, the ordinance would create a one-year pilot program, which also requires the e-scooter companies to get a dockless system permit, to help everyone get used to the new method of mobility.
The ordinance also defines an area, called the Urban Overlay Zone, where the scooters could be used. That zone mainly includes downtown, parts of the east side of Missionary Ridge, North Chattanooga and the base of Lookout Mountain.
🛴 What the ordinance says …
- To get a permit for the pilot program, companies must supply information such as images + descriptions of the vehicles, along with evidence of deployment in at least two other cities.
- The company must also have a business partner program that shows the operator — prior to deployment — has established connections with businesses + other organizations that want to see the scooters available.
- Scooter companies must also have a plan for educating users + pay a permit fee of $1,000.
- Operators must also pay $110 for each scooter that is deployed.
- Operators are limited to 300 scooters during the first month of the approved pilot period.
- A vote on the ordinance could come as soon as April 30, with the final vote being one week later.
🛴 Why the rules?
This approach is likely an effort to avoid problems other cities have seen.
In other areas, the story goes that one day the scooters just show up for use + it’s caused problems. People complained of those on scooters not obeying traffic laws + photos popped up online of people leaving them in random, inappropriate places — like a tree.
NOOGAtoday tested out the Lime scooters in November 2018 and outlined how they work here.
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