Seattle DOT Year-End Scooter Share Program Update, 2019

In early 2020, the Seattle Department of Transit released its “Year End Scooter Share Update“, which highlights the city’s progress towards the launch of its scooter share pilot, slated for Spring 2020. The report details the city’s three-phase plan for its program: phase 1 (Q3 2019) involved a community engagement effort to develop a framework for a what a potential program might entail; phase 2 (ongoing) involves more specified community engagement to explore permit requirements and components, as well as releasing the final permit application; and phase 3 (Q1/Q2 2020) will involve launching the program and assessing its success.

Source: SDOT

Some of the key findings from the community engagement process are included in the report. The city found that the most-cited benefit to a shooter share program would be increased mobility, while the most-cited concern relating to scooter use pertains to parking and riding on sidewalks.

The report also features some of the requirements to which operators will need to adhere once the program is launched in Spring 2020. Some such requirements include:

• The total number of micromobility devices allowed will adhere to the 2018 bike share environmental review—a total of no more than 20,000 scooter and bike devices;
• Use of scooters on sidewalks will be prohibited;
• Certain areas, such as Pike Place Market, may be geofenced as no-ride zones; and
• Scooters will have a maximum speed limit of 15mph.

Other requirements will include vehicle safety, community education, equity, access for people with disabilities and parking enforcement.