Title
Minimum Age Requirement for Electric Scooters and Electric Bicycles (Ordinance G-7334) - Citywide
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to amend Phoenix City Code Chapter 36 to update the minimum age to ride electric scooters and electric bicycles.
Report
Summary
Phoenix City Code, Article XV, Section 36-308 and Article XVII, Section 36-510 currently prohibits anyone who is under the age of 18 from riding an electric scooter (e-scooter) or electric bicycle (e-bike) on public streets. This amendment would reduce the minimum age requirement for riding e-scooters and e-bikes on public streets to 16 which aligns with the minimum age to obtain a Graduated Driver License in Arizona.
Spin and Lime, the City's shared micromobility vendors, require renters to be at least 18 in all cities where they operate due to company policies and insurance regulations. Representatives from both Spin and Lime have confirmed they will not make changes to their minimum age requirements for shared micromobility renters in Phoenix.
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact to the City of Phoenix to update the City Code to reduce the minimum age requirement to 16 for riding e-scooters and e-bikes on public streets.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning Subcommittee:
- Recommended approval to amend Phoenix City Code to establish the Shared Micromobility Program, permanently legalize electric scooters on city streets with a minimum age of 18, and establish a minimum age of 18 for electric bicycles on May 17, 2023, by a unanimous vote.
The City Council approved:
- The Pilot Program (Ordinance G-6602) and a temporary legalization of electric scooters with a minimum age of 18 on June 26, 2019;
- A Pilot Program extension, a sunset provision extension, and the allowance of electric bicycles on public streets Citywide with a minimum age of 16 (Ordinance G-6967) on March 2, 2022; and
- Amendments to Phoenix City Code to establish the Shared Micromobility Program, permanently legalize electric scooters on city streets with a minimum age of 18, and establish a minimum age of 18 for electric bicycles on May 31, 2023.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Street Transportation Department.