Title
Downtown Shared Electric Scooter Pilot Program Extension (Ordinance G-6676)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, approve to extend the Downtown Shared Electric Scooter Pilot Program for an additional six months, to accept new vendor applications for the Pilot Program, and to amend Ordinance G-6602 to extend the sunset provision for an additional six months to allow shared electric scooters to continue to operate within the Pilot Program area.
Report
Summary
On June 26, 2019, City Council unanimously approved the Downtown Shared Electric Scooter (eScooter) Pilot Program, which allowed eScooter vendors to obtain a permit to operate within the City of Phoenix. As part of the Pilot Program, City Council approved Ordinance G-6602, amending the Phoenix City Code to allow electric scooters to operate on public streets. The Ordinance amendment also included definitions for an electric standup scooter and authorized the City of Phoenix Police Department or peace officer to issue civil traffic citations for, among other things, speed limit violations, yielding the right-of-way, parking violations, and riding on the sidewalk. Additionally, the Ordinance amendment included a one-year sunset provision, which effectively repeals the Code changes on June 25, 2020, one year from the Ordinance effective date of June 26, 2019.
On Sept. 16, 2019, the City of Phoenix issued permits to three vendors (Bird, Lime and Spin) to deploy eScooters as part of a six-month Pilot Program. During the pilot, staff has collected performance data, which includes fleet information, ridership, violations, program fees and revenues, public and stakeholder comments, and general observations to assess user demand; monitored vendor operations; and evaluated the impacts to the City. On Jan. 7, 2020, staff presented a three-month update of the program to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee. The Subcommittee provided guidance to allow a modification to permits to suspend the requirement for nightly pick up of the eScooters and allow them to remain deactivated in the designated parking locations from midnight to 5 a.m. The overall feedback from the public and downtown stakeholders thus far has been positive. The six-month pilot program is scheduled to end on March 16, 2020, and there is currently only one active vendor (Spin) operating under the Pilot Program.
Staff proposes to extend the Pilot Program for an additional six months and to re-open the permit application process to allow new vendors to apply for the Pilot Program. Staff will continue to collect performance data to evaluate the feasibility of a permanent shared eScooter program. There will be no changes to the existing boundaries of the Pilot Program area.
To extend the Pilot Program, City Council must also amend Ordinance G-6602 to extend the sunset provision for an additional six months.
Financial Impact
The following vendor fees are currently in effect with the program: $500 application fee, $5,000 permit fee per six months, $0.10 per ride surcharge, and $80 relocation fee per scooter. No changes are proposed to the existing fees at this time, but fees and city costs will continue to be evaluated during the pilot to ensure the program is structured to be full cost recovery.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
- The Aviation and Transportation Subcommittee recommended approval of the initial Pilot Program on Jan. 22, 2019, by a vote of 3-0.
- The Planning and Economic Development Subcommittee was provided with information on the initial Pilot Program on Feb. 5, 2019, and also received an update for information and discussion on June 4, 2019.
- The Aviation and Transportation Subcommittee reviewed this item on June 25, 2019.
- City Council approved the Pilot Program on June 26, 2019.
- The Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee was provided with a three-month update of the Pilot Program on Jan. 7, 2020.
- The Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee recommended approval of the extension on Feb. 5, 2020, by a vote of 4-0.
Location
The main boundaries of the Pilot Program are from 7th Avenue to 7th Street and from Buckeye Road to McDowell Road. The Pilot Program boundary includes an extension of the area bounded by Roosevelt Street and Grand Avenue, and a reduction of the northern boundary to Portland Street between 7th Avenue and Central Avenue.
Council Districts: 4, 7 and 8
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Street Transportation Department.