DCP Ramps Up Scooter Regulations in Pursuit of Safer Streets
The Department of City Planning is working to improve safety measures around “shareable dockless mobility devices.”
As of June 21, riders will no longer be allowed to travel over 8 mph on congested portions of the Atlanta BeltLine. This new Reduced Speed Zone will go into effect at 6 p.m. and continue week nights, weekends and holidays. It’s just one of several new safety measures arising as scooter popularity continues to grow.
“Now more people want to get around outside of their cars, so we’re going to have to redesign our streets to accommodate that.” - City Planning Commissioner Tim Keane
From February to May, scooter and e-bike riders in Atlanta traveled almost 2 million total miles. For some perspective, that’s like taking 27,000 trips around the perimeter. Last year, dockless mobility accounted for over 38 million trips nationwide, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
Those numbers are significant.
They mean safety regulations and street redesign have become increasingly important. In response, Atlantans will see new parking corrals, “Never Ride on Sidewalk,” signs and green “Park Here” signs pop up across the city in coming weeks. DCP is also working with Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. to erect parking zones along the Eastside and Westside BeltLine trails.
Continued efforts are being made toward creating more connected bike lanes in the city. Cycle Atlanta 2.0, adopted as part of Atlanta’s Transportation Plan, identifies almost 40 miles of safety improvements around six MARTA stations.
“The issue is carving out room on our streets for everyone to be safe, and that’s a challenge because people are used to taking every inch for the car,” said Commissioner Tim Keane. “Now, more people want to get around outside of their cars, so we’re going to have to redesign our streets to accommodate that.”
For the city to achieve its potential of 1.2 million people during the next generation of growth, we must decrease car dependency
The Atlanta Police Department is stepping up its scooter enforcement and awareness through a new APD education campaign. It's focused on deterring sidewalk riding, not yielding to pedestrians, and riding more than one person per vehicle. APD is now issuing warnings to violators and handing out #ScootSmart flyers while monitoring for poor behavior.
DCP’s #ScootSmart initiative aims to raise safety awareness and identity better parking areas for signage for dockless devices.
The Atlanta Department of Public Works enforces appropriate parking of scooters and impounds those that aren’t parked properly. Companies whose devices are impounded must pay a minimum $75 fee for each one picked up. DPW impounded over 3,000 devices since February.
“We understand and appreciate the changing roles our roadways will play as society seeks out more convenience in their travel options. We’ll be there to accommodate this need when and as called upon,” said Department of Public Works Commissioner James A. Jackson Jr.
Jackson says despite some bad actors, scooters are still great “as an option to complete that last ½ mile of transit from home to work, entertainment and shopping.”
For the city to achieve its potential of 1.2 million people during the next generation of growth, we must decrease car dependency. Shared mobility options could be a valuable tool in reaching that goal. According to research by agencies across the country, scooters and e-bikes, may lead to a decrease in car ridership. A Denver Public Works survey says about 30 percent of riders said they would have used a car had a scooter not been available.
In Atlanta, that would equate to a potential decrease in over 140,000 car trips each month.
The city’s permitted dockless mobility providers include: Jump, Bolt, Spin, Gotcha, Lime, Lyft, Bird, Wheels, and Boaz. All operators have not currently launched.