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Home My WebLink About02/10/2025 - Active Modes Advisory Board - AGENDA - Regular MeetingActive Modes Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING February 10, 2025 – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 281 N College Ave. Zoom – See Link Below 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (3 min per participant) 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. December 2024 b. January 2025 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Joint meeting with TBOARD | Bruce Henderson (15 min) • Feedback Participation for this Active Modes Advisory Board Meeting will be in person at 281 N College Ave. You may also join online via Zoom, using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83195499054?pwd=bsNgp5xE5aYW5DsataXRxhqfaI52as.1 Online Public Participation: The meeting will be available to join beginning at 5:55 p.m., February 10, 2025. Participants should try to sign in prior to the 6:00 p.m. meeting start time, if possible. For public comments, the Chair will ask participants to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time. Staff will moderate the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Board or Commission. To Participate: • Use a laptop, computer, or internet-enabled smartphone. (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). • You need to have access to the internet. • Keep yourself on muted status. Provide Comments Via Email Individuals who are uncomfortable or unable to access the Zoom platform or participate by phone are encouraged to participate by emailing comments to lnagle@fcgov.com at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. If your comments are specific to any of the discussion items on the agenda, please indicate that in the subject line of your email. Staff will ensure your comments are provided to the Active Modes Advisory Board. Active Modes Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Which Wheels Go Where | Rachel Ruhlen, Dave “DK Kemp (45 min) • Presentation (INFORM) • Guidance on code change options (INPUT) b. Shared e-bikes and e-scooters | Rachel Ruhlen (45 min) • Annual report review (INFORM) • Guidance on upcoming request for proposals (INPUT) 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS 9. STAFF LIASON REPORT a. Winter Bike to Work Day: February 14, morning and afternoon stations b. Transportation Projects Fair: March 6, 5 to 7 p.m. at The Lincoln Center c. Council Six Month Agenda Planning Calendar 10. ADJOURNMENT ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING –REGULAR December 16, 2024 6:00 p.m. Online via Zoom or In Person at 281 North College 1 2 /1 6 /202 4 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Henderson called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL Bruce Henderson, Chair Kevin Krause, Vice Chair Tim Han Wallace Jacobson Cameron Phillips Kat Steele CITY STAFF PRESENT: Lauren Nagle Amy Gage ABSENT: Kristina Vrouwenvelder Jared Hanson PUBLIC PRESENT: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Henderson outlined the published agenda. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION None. ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1 2 /1 6 /202 4 – MINUTES Page 2 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – NOVEMBER 2024 Han made a motion, seconded by Steele, to approve the minutes of the November 2024 meeting. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Upcoming Bike Map Change – Lauren Nagle, Amy Gage Nagle noted the City formulates a new bike map approximately every year and stated staff is considering a more major refresh with robust community input with the next revision. Nagle showed an example of the Denver map. Gage commented on best design practices for maps and commented on the importance of highlighting or making areas ‘pop’ that are the desired biking areas. Members and staff discussed whether bike repair shops or mobile repair shops should be included on the map, and it was noted that fixed self-repair stations are also marked on the map. Gage noted the budget for the bike maps has been reduced, therefore, only the larger maps will be produced for the upcoming year and the hope is that people will shift more to the digital version. Gage also noted all educational aspects of the map will include Spanish as well as English versions. Members commented on issues with Google mapping of bike routes and on the possibility of forming an app, potentially within the Transfort app. Nagle noted FC Moves is preparing to launch an app geared toward transportation demand management and having all active and sustainable modes represented. Chair Henderson asked how much the mapping is bound in terms of City and County limits. Gage replied the low-stress network is bound by City boundaries and the growth management area, and noted a regional map could eventually be developed. Han commented on the advantages of a paper map over a digital version. Gage commented on the importance of directing cyclists to areas that are easier to navigate and stated it would be beneficial to highlight underpasses and overpasses on the map. Nagle introduced the mapping exercise for the Board members. Steele suggested placing a QR code link to the online map version on the paper map. ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1 2 /1 6 /202 4 – MINUTES Page 3 Krause commented on preferring to see any and all bike recreational items on the map. Gage noted it was decided to keep this map as a bike infrastructure map rather than an all-inclusive active modes map. Steele asked how alleyways are considered. Gage replied bikes are allowed to be ridden in them; however, it may not be encouraged given vehicles and blind spots. Nagle stated staff is hoping to get the draft to the printer early in 2025. Gage stated Safe Routes to School, bike shops, the library, events, and CSU are the primary distributors of the paper maps and noted about 20% of the maps are printed in Spanish. Han suggested printing a smaller, more basic version for Safe Routes to School and members discussed using smaller, more localized maps for schools. Gage commented on the relationship of that type of map with the 15-minute city concept. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Krause announced the first stakeholder meeting of the bike park feasibility study and commented on a recent newspaper opinion article regarding the need for bike park facilities. Steele commented on using the SPIN app to report two improperly parked scooters and questioned how the City decides where the bike accessible crosswalk buttons are positioned noting some are difficult to access and riders are not always aware of cameras that are present to trigger signals. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Staff Liaison Report: Year in Review, Joint Transportation Board Meeting Nagle provided a brief summary of the year’s Board activities noting this is the first time since 2015 that a new Board has been established and mentioned the upcoming joint meeting with the Transportation Board in January. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 7:30 p.m. Headline Copy Goes Here Rachel Ruhlen, Transportation Planner Dave “DK” Kemp, Senior Trails Planner Which Wheels Go Where? -Project Update 2025 02 10 Active Modes Advisory Board Headline Copy Goes HereAgenda •Purpose •Community & stakeholder engagement results and research •Discuss options and seek input on proposed code changes •Future Action – Board recommendation to inform Council Headline Copy Goes Here 3 Purpose Micromobility supports climate, active mode, Vision Zero goals. Which Wheels Go Where? explores how to accommodate more kinds of micromobility. Headline Copy Goes Here E-unicycle 4 Micromobility (human & electric powered) Roller skates Kick scooter Tricycle Unicycle Bicycle Roller blades Longboard Skateboard E-trikes & E-bikes E-scooter E-skateboard Headline Copy Goes Here Toy vehicles 5 Currently a Complex and Confusing Chart Headline Copy Goes HereNew Micromobility Definitions Human Powered Vehicle Lightweight Electric Vehicle ≤20 mph Low Power Scooter or “Out of Class” Electric Vehicle Headline Copy Goes Here 7 A Potential Revised & Simplified Chart Human powered vehicles Lightweight electric vehicles Low power scooter (Out of class electric vehicle) Street Allowed Allowed Allowed Bike lane Allowed Allowed Prohibited Sidewalk Allowed Allowed Prohibited Paved Trails Allowed Allowed Prohibited Crosswalk Ride Ride Prohibited Dismount zone Dismount Dismount Prohibited Headline Copy Goes Here Community Engagement Questionnaire Results 8 Headline Copy Goes Here 9 Questionnaire Outreach & Design Outreach Efforts: •English and Spanish Versions •Incentives •Flyers, yard signs, social media, postcards, press release, email •Events •Partners Questionnaire Design: •Quiz to educate •Concerns •Open-ended comment section •Transportation use •Demographics Headline Copy Goes Here 10 Concerns? 1,478 Response Do you have any concerns about human powered or lightweight electric vehicles on sidewalks, paved trails, bike lanes, or streets? All answers Spanish survey Headline Copy Goes Here 11 Top concerns (Sidewalks) Headline Copy Goes Here 12 Top concerns (Bike Lanes) Headline Copy Goes Here 13 Top concerns (Streets) What is your top concern regarding the use of _____ on streets? Headline Copy Goes Here 14 Top concerns (Paved Trails) Headline Copy Goes Here 15 Open-Ended Comments (718) “As a pedestrian on sidewalks, I worry about being hit by an electric vehicle” “Bike lanes should be protected from traffic to increase use and confidence in being safe” “At current state it is confusing, and thus people will not be following the rules anyways” “Educating drivers in how to interact with these devices seems imperative” “Assuming speeds stay low/responsible... there should be no reason to limit these vehicles. Less cars on the road, less traffic, less pollution” “Don't punish good people that are enjoying the ride nicely, simply because of others” “I've witnessed many scooters, bikes, skateboards going too fast and not adhering to the rules of the road/trail.” “Concerned about faster vehicles on trails for human-powered modes of transportation where limited-mobility users/kids may get hurt.” Headline Copy Goes Here 16 Use vs. Facility Type Headline Copy Goes Here 17 Use vs. Facility Type Headline Copy Goes Here 18 Demographics Headline Copy Goes Here Enforcement Consideration and Feedback 19 Headline Copy Goes Here 20 Enforcement Feedback •Research (Boulder Police) •In 2021, Boulder allowed human powered and lightweight electric vehicles on streets, sidewalks, and paved trails •Police expected more impact from rule change •No increase in crashes •CSU Police •Need appropriate citation for careless riding on streets, sidewalks •Prefer riders on streets and off sidewalks, regardless of vehicle •FC Police •Allowing micromobility devices on streets could result in increased severe crashes •Speed limits leads to expectations of patrols & enforcements (Police & Prosecutors) •Limited resources for enforcement •Recommend safety education approach •Park Rangers (Paved Trails) •Cannot detain or pursue •“Authority of the Resource” •Recommends safety education approach Headline Copy Goes Here Explore Options 21 Headline Copy Goes Here 22 Sidewalks Sidewalks Human-powered vehicle Lightweight Electric Vehicle Bikes and e- bikes* Skateboards, roller skates, etc. E-scooters E-skateboard, one-wheel, etc. Current regulations Allowed (except dismount zones)Unclear Allowed Staff is exploring Allowed (except dismount zones) *Current ordinance is unclear on whether Class 3 e-bikes are permitted on sidewalks. Exploring consistency: Class 3 e-bikes either be allowed or prohibited on sidewalks,paved trails, and crosswalks. (except dismount zones) Headline Copy Goes Here 23 Crosswalks Crosswalks Human-powered vehicle Lightweight Electric Vehicle Bikes, e-bikes* Skateboards, roller skates, etc. E-scooters E-skateboard, one-wheel, etc. Current regulations Ride (except dismount zones)Dismount Staff is exploring Ride (except dismount zones) *Class 3 e-bikes are currently required to dismount in crosswalks. Headline Copy Goes Here 24 Streets Streets/Bike Lanes Human-powered vehicle Lightweight Electric Vehicle Bikes and e- bikes Skateboards, rollerskates, etc. E-scooters E-skateboard, one-wheel, etc. Current regulations Allowed Not allowed Allowed Not allowed Staff is exploring Allowed Headline Copy Goes Here 25 Police Department Feedback (low vs high speed streets) Roads that would be unavailable with speed limit restriction Bike lanes Streets Other human powered vehicles Separated bike lanes Low speed Other lightweight electric vehicles Separated bike lanes Low speed Headline Copy Goes Here 26 Paved trails Paved trails or multi-use paths Human-powered vehicle Lightweight Electric Vehicle Bikes, e-bikes Skateboards, rollerskates, etc. E-scooters E-skateboard, one-wheel, etc. Current regulations Allowed (except Class 3 e-bikes)Not allowed (except on Mason Trail) Staff is exploring Allowed* *Exploring consistency: Class 3 e-bikes either be allowed or prohibited on sidewalks, paved trails, and crosswalks. Cities that allow e-scooters on paved trails: Denver, Boulder, Fayetteville, Salt Lake City, Columbus Headline Copy Goes Here 27 AMAB Feedback • What feedback do you have regarding proposed new definitions? • What are your concerns? • What are the opportunities? Sidewalks Bike lanes Streets Paved trails Headline Copy Goes Here Thank you! Rachel Ruhlen, rruhlen@fcgov.com 28 Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 1 Which Wheels Go Where Community Engagement Summary Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 2 Contents Overview .................................................................................................................................... 5 Summary of questionnaire responses ........................................................................................ 6 Top concerns .......................................................................................................................... 6 How respondents use facilities ..............................................................................................10 Demographics .......................................................................................................................12 Summary of comments ..........................................................................................................16 Common themes ................................................................................................................16 Bike lanes and streets ........................................................................................................17 Unsafe riding ......................................................................................................................18 Freedom and fairness ........................................................................................................19 Quality of the questionnaire ...............................................................................................19 Outreach ...................................................................................................................................21 Outreach Materials ....................................................................................................................24 Questionnaire (English) .............................................................................................................28 Questionnaire (Spanish) ...........................................................................................................49 Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 3 Table 1. Where current ordinance allows and prohibits various types of vehicles Bicycles E-bikes, Class 1 & 2 E-bikes, Class 3 E-scooters powered vehicle electric vehicle Low-power scooter Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Prohibited Prohibited Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Sidewalk Allowed Allowed ??? ??? Allowed Allowed Prohibited Sidewalk – Dismount zone Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Paved Trails (except Mason Trail) Allowed Allowed Prohibited Prohibited Allowed Prohibited Prohibited Mason Trail Crosswalk Crosswalk – Dismount Dismount Dismount Dismount Dismount Dismount Dismount Dismount Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 4 Table 2. Possible future ordinances regulating various types of vehicles powered vehicles electric vehicles power scooter Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Prohibited Sidewalk Allowed Allowed Prohibited Paved Trails Crosswalk Dismount zone Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 5 Overview The term “micromobility,” is a new term that refers to small-wheeled devices, such as bicycles, scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, and other vehicles with a small profile compared to most motor vehicles, and which may be human powered or have electric motors. With recent battery and technology advances, the options have expanded rapidly and are continuing to change. Today, people use human and electric-powered micromobility devices to move about the city; however, many of the laws pertaining to these devices are outdated. Current laws create a fragmented, inconsistent, and often unsafe network (Table 1). Peoples’ mobility choices are changing, and our laws need to stay current to regulate, educate, and enforce the safe use of these devices on city facilities and create a fair physical and legal environment for their use. Fort Collins’ robust bicycle and pedestrian networks are well suited to accommodate most micromobility options, and the City is constantly working to improve these networks. Supporting the use of new devices provides community members more mobility choices that move away from use of motor vehicles that emit greenhouse gases and cause traffic congestion, which aligns with several City plans, such as Our Climate Future, the Active Modes Plan, and the Vision Zero Action Plan. The goal of Which Wheels Go Where is to update and simplify the laws governing micromobility operations on streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, and paved trails (for example, Table 2). To inform this project, community members who experience bicycle and pedestrian facilities in different contexts were engaged to determine how best to accommodate human powered vehicles and lightweight electric vehicles on city facilities and to develop strategies to address concerns. This project collected public input in the form of a questionnaire developed using the Alchemer platform. This document summarizes the responses received. Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 6 Summary of questionnaire responses Respondents answered questions about their top concerns regarding human powered or lightweight electric vehicles on sidewalks, paved trails, bike lanes, and streets. Information was collected to assess whether riders of all types of micromobility and walkers responded. Finally, demographic information was collected to understand what groups may be underrepresented. IP addresses were assessed to determine if there were duplicate responses that might indicate attempts to bias the results. Evidence of “ballot-stuffing” was not detected. Figure 1. Multilingual activity at Hickory Village Resource Fair Top concerns Of the 1,478 respondents, a majority (55%) had concerns about human powered or lightweight electric vehicles on sidewalks, paved trails, bike lanes, or streets, while few (17%) of the 103 Spanish speaking respondents had concerns (Figure 2). Spin operates shared e-bikes and e- scooters in Fort Collins, and supported the questionnaire with $5 ride credit for anyone who completed the questionnaire and notifying people with Spin accounts about the questionnaire opportunity. Over half of the respondents (51%) requested the Spin ride credit, but only 9% (138) had Spin accounts and received the ride credit. People who requested the Spin ride credit were less likely (39%) than those who did not (71%) to have concerns (Figure 3). Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 7 Figure 2. Number and % of respondents who did or did not have concerns about human powered or lightweight electric vehicles on sidewalks, paved trails, bike lanes, or streets. Left, all respondents; Right, Spanish respondents Figure 3. Number and % of respondents who did or did not have concerns about human powered or lightweight electric vehicles on sidewalks, paved trails, bike lanes, or streets. Left, respondents who did not request the Spin ride credit; Right, respondents who did request the Spin ride credit Of the 806 respondents who had concerns, 30% identified “Unsafe riding” or “May travel too fast” as the top concern about human powered vehicles on sidewalks (Figure 4). These categories were also the top concern about lightweight electric vehicles on sidewalks, with 49% identified “May travel too fast” and 32% “Unsafe riding” as the top concern. “May travel too fast” (41%) and “Unsafe riding” (33%) were also the top concerns about lightweight electric vehicles on paved trails (Figure 5). The most common concern about human powered or lightweight electric vehicles in bike lanes was “No concern” (39% and 36% respectively), followed by “Conflicts with motor vehicles” (25% and 22% respectively, Figure 6). The most common concerns about human powered or lightweight electric vehicles on streets were “Conflicts with motor vehicles” (35% and 32% respectively) and “May not follow the rules of the road” (34% and 39% respectively, Figure 7). Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 8 Figure 4 Top concern about human powered (left) or lightweight electric vehicles (LEV; right) on sidewalks Figure 5 Top concern about lightweight electric vehicles on paved trails Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 9 Figure 6 Top concern about human powered (top) or lightweight electric vehicles (bottom) in bike lanes Figure 7 Top concern about human powered (left) or lightweight electric vehicles (right) on streets Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 10 How respondents use facilities The next series of questions was to determine whether riders of all kinds of micromobility, as well as people who do not use micromobility, completed the questionnaire. Respondents reported using every kind of micromobility, walking, and riding horses on all types of facilities (Figures 8-11). Sidewalks are designed for people traveling at walking speed, and most respondents (92%) walk on sidewalks. While riding micromobility on sidewalks is generally discouraged, there are times when people choose to use the sidewalk (Figure 8). On paved trails, most respondents walk (89%) and/or bicycle (79%, Figure 9). As expected, most respondents bike (82%) or e-bike (37%) in bike lanes (Figure 10). On streets without bike lanes, more respondents bike (63%) than drive (56%), and 27% ride e-bikes on streets (Figure 11). Figure 8. How respondents use sidewalks Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 11 Figure 9 How respondents use paved trails Figure 10 How respondents use bike lanes Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 12 Figure 11 How respondents use streets without bike lanes Demographics The majority of respondents (69%) are unaffiliated with Colorado State University, with substantial representation from CSU students, faculty, and staff (Figure 12). Of the 10% of respondents who identified as having a disability, most reported a mobility disability (Figure 13). The highest age range responding to the survey was 30-30 years (19%), with responses evenly distributed across ages 30-69 years (Figure 14). Young people under 20 years of age are underrepresented. A hard-to-reach group is people with low income; 43% of respondents report annual household income below $100,000 and 21% below $50,000 (Figure 15). Respondents were slightly more likely to identify as men (47%) than women (42%) (Figure 16). Respondents were 72% White, 9% Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish Origin, and 8% other race/ethnicities (Figure 17). Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 13 Figure 13 Type of disability reported by respondents who identified as having a disability 12 Colorado State University (CSU) affiliation Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 14 Figure 14 Age ranges of respondents Figure 15 Income ranges of respondents Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 15 Figure 16 Gender of respondents Figure 17 Race/ethnicity of respondents Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 16 Summary of comments To facilitate analysis of the questionnaire, only one open-ended comment box was included, and 718 respondents providing comments. All 718 comments were read by staff. Common themes Key themes regarding micromobility devices on various transportation infrastructure, with quotes that encapsulate the diverse opinions and concerns surrounding micromobility devices, highlighting safety issues, infrastructure needs, accessibility benefits, and suggestions for improvement, are: • Safety Concerns o Speed differentials: Many respondents expressed concern about the speed differences between various modes of transportation, particularly on paved trails. Many respondents noted that electric vehicles often travel too fast around pedestrians, raising fears about safety on paved trails. Fast- moving e-bikes and electric scooters were seen as potentially dangerous when mixed with slower pedestrians and traditional bicycles on sidewalks and on paved trails. o Yielding the right-of-Way: Many respondents reported faster travelers failing to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians on sidewalks and paved trails. Respondents also reported micromobility riders in bike lanes and on streets failing to yield the right-of-way to other travelers on streets. o Pedestrian safety: There was significant worry about pedestrian safety, especially on sidewalks and paved trails, with one respondent stating, "As a pedestrian on sidewalks, I worry about being hit by an electric vehicle." Many felt that motorized vehicles of any kind should not be allowed on sidewalks due to the risk of collisions with pedestrians. o Lack of knowledge: Some respondents noted that users of newer electric vehicles often seem unaware of traffic rules and proper etiquette, leading to unsafe behavior. • Infrastructure and Regulation o Protected bike lanes: Several comments advocated for better-protected bike lanes to enhance safety, with one stating, "Bike lanes should be protected from traffic to increase use and confidence in being safe." o Separate paths: A common suggestion was to create separate paths for different types of vehicles. One respondent remarked, "Different speeds of travel should have different paths," echoing sentiments that mixed-speed environments can be dangerous. Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 17 o Clear rules and signage: Many suggested clearer rules and better signage to inform users about where different vehicles can operate safely. One respondent said, "At current state it is confusing, and thus people will not be following the rules anyways," while another noted that "better posted rules of which vehicle can be used where" would help alleviate confusion. o Enforcement: Many respondents felt that current rules are not adequately enforced, rendering them ineffective. One respondent stated, "Any potential rules and regulations around these modes of transport are largely moot without any enforcement." • Accessibility and Mobility o Benefits for seniors and those with mobility issues: Some commenters, particularly older adults, appreciated how e-bikes and other electric vehicles allow them to stay active and mobile. One respondent stated, "As a senior citizen with a class-1 e-bike, I appreciate being able to use the trail system for my health." o Encouraging alternative transportation: Several respondents saw the value in allowing various micromobility devices as a way to reduce car traffic and pollution. • Suggestions for Improvement o Speed limits: Many suggested implementing and enforcing speed limits on paved trails, regardless of the type of vehicle. o Education and etiquette: There were calls for more education on etiquette on paved trails, such as using audible signals when passing. o Flexibility: Some respondents argued for more flexible rules based on behavior rather than specific vehicle types, as technology is evolving rapidly. Overall, the comments reflect a desire for balance between accommodating new forms of transportation and ensuring safety for all users of shared spaces. Bike lanes and streets Because the comments were predominantly about paved trails, comments about micromobility in bike lanes and on streets are summarized separately here. Common themes regarding micromobility devices in bike lanes and on streets: • Safety Concerns o Speed differentials: Many respondents expressed concern about the speed differences between various modes of transportation, particularly in bike lanes. Fast-moving e-bikes and electric scooters were seen as potentially dangerous when mixed with slower traditional bicycles. Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 18 o Vulnerability to cars: There was significant worry about the safety of micromobility users on streets, especially when sharing space with cars. One commenter noted, "I bike to work and back in part to try and alleviate congestion but I don't know how much longer I can continue due to safety concerns." • Infrastructure Needs o Protected bike lanes: Several comments called for better-protected bike lanes to increase safety and encourage use. o Separate lanes for different speeds: Some suggested the need for separate lanes for different speeds of travel. • Regulation and Enforcement o Lack of rule adherence: Many respondents felt that users of micromobility devices often don't follow traffic rules. One comment noted, "Not following rules of the road: running through red lights or ignoring walk signs in crosswalks.” o Need for education: There were calls for more education on traffic rules and etiquette for micromobility users. One respondent suggested, "Educating drivers in how to interact with these devices seems imperative.” • Accessibility and Mobility Benefits o Alternative to cars: Several respondents saw the value in allowing various micromobility devices in bike lanes and on streets as a way to reduce car traffic and pollution. One comment stated, "Assuming speeds stay low/responsible... there should be no reason to limit these vehicles. Less cars on the road, less traffic, less pollution.” These themes reflect the complex challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing use of micromobility devices in bike lanes and on streets, highlighting the need for balanced policies that prioritize safety while accommodating and encouraging diverse transportation options. Unsafe riding In the multiple-choice questionnaire questions, one option respondents could choose was “unsafe riding”. “Traveling too fast” was also an option. Respondents used the comment box to provide other examples of unsafe riding on various types of infrastructure: • On paved trails - Lack of audible warning • In bike lanes - Wrong-way riding • On streets o Ignoring traffic rules - "Not following rules of the road: running through red lights or ignoring walk signs in crosswalks." Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 19 o Not wearing helmets Freedom and fairness Based on the survey comments, several themes emerged regarding fairness and freedom of travel for micromobility users: • Support for diverse transportation options: Some respondents advocated for allowing a wide range of micromobility devices, seeing them as beneficial alternatives to cars. One comment stated, "Assuming speeds stay low/responsible... there should be no reason to limit these vehicles. Less cars on the road, less traffic, less pollution." • Concerns about restrictions: Several comments expressed frustration with overly complex or restrictive rules. One respondent noted, "Let people be encouraged to take other means than cars and allow them to travel in almost any location." This sentiment reflects a desire for more freedom in choosing transportation methods. • Accessibility for seniors and those with mobility issues: Some comments highlighted the importance of e-bikes and other electric vehicles for maintaining mobility and independence, especially for older adults. One senior citizen remarked, "As a senior citizen with a class-1 e-bike, I appreciate being able to use the trail system for my health." • Calls for balanced approach: While many supported more freedom, there were also calls for responsible use. An email received noted, “Those that don't [obey laws] should be punished accordingly, but don't punish good people that are enjoying the ride nicely, simply because of others. My e-bike can go fast but I don't have to use it that way.” • Equity in infrastructure: Some respondents pointed out the need for better infrastructure to accommodate various users safely. • Simplification of rules: There were calls for simpler, more understandable regulations to promote fair use. A respondent stated, "Don't make it complicated... with complicated rules that are too hard to understand, people spurn their government." Overall, the comments reflect a desire for fair access to transportation infrastructure for various micromobility devices, balanced with safety considerations and clear, simple regulations. Quality of the questionnaire Respondents commented on the quality and the bias of the questionnaire. • Relevance of issues: Many respondents appreciated the survey's focus on pressing issues related to micromobility. One comment noted, "Thank you for this all-important survey and follow-up to an issue gaining momentum." Some Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 20 participants felt that the survey could lead to positive changes in policy and infrastructure. • Bias against electric micromobility: Some respondents felt that the survey questions were framed in a way that emphasized negative aspects of micromobility devices. One comment stated, "The survey seems to be biased against electric mobility devices. There are no options to say that they are good and should be encouraged." • Bias toward electric micromobility: One respondent felt that offering a Spin credit as a reward indicates a bias toward a “dubious transit mode”. • Insufficient options: Some respondents felt the options weren’t precise, were too limited, or didn’t ask the right questions. Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 21 Outreach The questionnaire was provided in English and in Spanish. The questionnaire was promoted in a variety of ways (Table 3). Three incentives were offered: • $5 Spin ride credit • A chance to win one of three drawings – E-scooter, $500 gift card to Recycled Cycles, or $200 gift card either to Market Skateshop or as a $200 Visa gift card (Figure 18). • $5 King Sooper gift card (at select events only to increase participation of people with low income) Over half (51%) of respondents requested the $5 Spin ride credit. Almost three-quarters (72%) of respondents entered one of the three drawings; 32% (473) entered the $500 Recycled Cycles gift card drawing, 26% (379) entered the e-scooter drawing, and 15% (218) entered the $200 Market Skateshop or Visa gift card drawing (Figure 18). Outreach materials were: • Flyers • Yard signs • Postcards (multilingual) • Social media • Press release • Email (multilingual) • Email to Spin riders Table 3 Outreach Outreach Type Dates Outcome/Notes CARE Housing Summer Festival – Blue Spruce Event 7/20 6 survey responses (English) & $5 King Sooper gift cards Hickory Village Resources Fair Event 7/27 14 King Sooper gift cards, English & Spanish, ~25 interactions Fort Shorts Figure 18. Winners of e-scooter (left), Recycled Cycles gift card (middle), and Visa gift card (right) Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 22 Outreach Type Dates Outcome/Notes ARC of Larimer County email City-wide City-wide release City-wide Active Modes Advisory Board Presentation 8/19 Event 8/22 Flyers 8/26 See list below (Table 5) Email Mid- August Postcards bilingual postcard Super Issues Campus Safety Resource Fair NoCo Bike & Ped Collaborative Event 9/11 Events September 1 pop up, 3 Bike to Breakfast Wednesdays, 2 Rams Ride Right events Open Streets Trails pop-up Northern Colorado Trail Summit United Way Health Fair Table 4 Yard Signs Location Notes Linden at Walnut flower box Downtown, high pedestrian activity Discovery Museum Trail Cherry & Sherwood Lee Martinez, trail parking lot Trail Hickory Trail Trail, Equity North College 55+ Equity Romero Park Equity Collins Aire & Mosaic transit stop Equity, transit Power & Drake ped light Trail Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 23 Location Notes Swallow/Centennial & Lemay Caribou & Harmony Village (Stoneridge/Sunstone) Power & Vermont underpass South transit center Wabash & Century Stanford bus stop near Monroe Horsetooth & Taft Hill bus stop Spring Canyon Park Mason at Swallow Walk & Wheel Skills Hub Centre at Botanical bus stop Remington & Pitkin Avery Park at Taft Hill Ponderosa at Plum Bikeway/Orchard Pl City Park Oak & Sheldon Laporte at Fishback bus stop College at Target bus stop Welch at Spring Creek Trail Spring Creek Trail at Shields underpass Table 5 Retail locations flyers were distributed Location Brave New Wheel Drake Cycles Gearage proVelo Recycled Cycles REI Incycle (South) Incycle (North) The Spoke Runners World Pedego Trek Precision E Bikes Market Skate Shop Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 24 Outreach Materials [Attach pdfs of flyer, yard sign, postcard] Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 28 Questionnaire (English) Which Wheels Go Where│Community Engagement Summary October 2024 | 49 Questionnaire (Spanish) [Attach English & Spanish survey pdfs] Headline Copy Goes Here Transportation Planner | FC Moves Rachel Ruhlen 2025 02 10 Spin Year 3 Review Headline Copy Goes HereOutline •Overview •Annual Report •RFP Headline Copy Goes Here 3 Overview Headline Copy Goes Here 4 Overview Year 1: 2021-2022 Year 2: 2022-2023 Year 3: 2023-2024 Year 3 significant events •September 2023 – Merger with Bird •December 2023 – Bird announced restructuring •March 2024 – Bird/Spin completed restructuring Headline Copy Goes Here 5 Ridership Headline Copy Goes Here 6 Community Partner •Peak ridership days •Tour de Fat •Homecoming •Community Support •CSU move-in tours •Community events •Employer or group demos •Free rides •Ride credits for Shift Your Ride – University Park program •Free rides at Open Streets •Ride credit incentives for surveys, quizzes, and ending rides in designated parking areas •Requests From •Local organizations wanting to incorporate e- bike/e-scooter share for clients •Residents wanting to ride with visitors •Residents wanting to use Spin •Case managers helping clients •Arc of Larimer County to train staff •National Attention •Colorado Planning Association session •Safe Routes to School mobile tours •Regional impact •Spin launched in Greeley November 2024 •Greeley, FoCo, and nearby communities developing regional shared micromobility framework Headline Copy Goes Here 7 Climate Change Big Move 4 in Our Climate Future “Convenient transportation choices: It is safe, easy, fast and affordable to get around without a car.” 89 metric tons CO2 emission avoided since program launch CO2 emission estimate assumes 34% mode shift (2022 ridership survey) Headline Copy Goes Here 8 Equity Spin Access enrollment Year 1 – 71 Year 2 – 406 Year 3 – 900 Improvements •Spin Access rider survey •Integrated in GetFoCo •GetFoCo accepts Pell grant •Streamlined Access activation •Free zones •CSU discount zone •Multilingual messaging Possible improvements •Passes for free rides Spin Access Rate Regular Rate Unlock fee $0.50 $1.00 Per minute $0.10 $0.40 15-minute ride $2.00 $7.00 30-minute ride $3.50 $13.50 Headline Copy Goes Here 9 Equity Possible improvements •Satellite locations •Self check-out options •Add e-trikes Spin Adaptive Headline Copy Goes Here 10 Safety •Safe devices •137 maintenance requests •Routine safety checks •Fire safety •UL-certified batteries •Safe routes •Active Modes Plan •Strategic Trails Plan •Which Wheels Go Where •Safe behavior •Geofence speed governors Headline Copy Goes Here 11 Parking August 2023 - Ordinance changed to allow on-street parking 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Nu m b e r w a r n i n g s / c o m p l a i n t s Month Warnings from complaints Complaints Warnings from Spin staff $ Headline Copy Goes Here 12 Next steps •Ridership •Frequent rider-friendly passes •Campus discount zones (30 cents/min) •AI deployment •Downtown parking options •Equity •Monitor trips in free zones •Deployment locations in free zones •Promo codes for Spin Access, social services •Parking •AI review of rider-submitted end-of-ride photos  608 warnings in one month! •Timeline •July 2024 – Renewal #3 (Year 4) •July 2025 – Renewal #4 (Year 5; final year) •Summer 2025 – RFP release •June 2026 – end of current contract •July 2026 – Year #1 of new contract Headline Copy Goes HereRequest for Proposals (RFP) •An RFP describes what we want (Goals) •Vendors propose a system to achieve our goals (Operations) •Long-term contract with long-term renewals Headline Copy Goes Here 16 Goals •Mode shift o Ridership o Cost •Reliability o Unusual/unforeseen issues o Vehicles available when/where needed •Equity o People with disabilities o People with low income •Community protection o Marketing o Transition to minimize gap in service – regular riders, low-income discount •Partnership o City and CSU role in program o Data reporting & requests o Tours, demos, etc. •Perception o Community perception o Fort Collins identity as a bicycle community •Environmental impact o Minimize environmental impact of operations E-bike and E-scooter Share 2024 Annual Report E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 4 Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 6 How E-bike/E-scooter Share Works ........................................................................................... 7 System Changes ........................................................................................................................ 8 Year 3..................................................................................................................................... 8 Year 4..................................................................................................................................... 8 Ridership .................................................................................................................................... 9 Impact on Fort Collins ...............................................................................................................12 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................13 Equity ........................................................................................................................................14 Spin Access...........................................................................................................................14 Spin Adaptive ........................................................................................................................16 Safety .......................................................................................................................................17 Safety incidents .....................................................................................................................17 Safe behavior ........................................................................................................................17 Safe devices ..........................................................................................................................17 Safe routes ............................................................................................................................17 Fire Safety .............................................................................................................................18 Parking .....................................................................................................................................19 Study .....................................................................................................................................19 Countermeasures ..................................................................................................................19 Reporting improperly parked devices .................................................................................19 Spin monitors for improper parking ....................................................................................20 User penalties ....................................................................................................................20 Provide better parking options ............................................................................................20 Revised parking regulations ...............................................................................................22 Educate riders on proper parking .......................................................................................22 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................24 Successes .............................................................................................................................24 Focus areas moving forward .................................................................................................24 Equity .................................................................................................................................24 Ridership............................................................................................................................24 24-26989 40% of riders are CSU undergrads, 20% of riders are CSU grad students, faculty, and sta 40% of riders are not aliated with CSU E-bike and E-scooter Share 2024 Annual Report 24,048 riders 27.5 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided 276,076 miles 61,602 car trips replaced Spin provided adaptive vehicles for requests 80 Spin ﬁlled requests for City and CSU demos and tours with bikes/scooters121 111 income qualiﬁed residents took over discounted trips with Spin Access2,500 Spin donated hours for City and CSU events and tours 63 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 6 Executive Summary Fort Collins has a long history of bike share starting with the homegrown Bike Library, one of several early bike share systems that gave rise to modern dockless bike and scooter share. As the industry skyrocketed and entered new markets, it has continued to thrive and evolve in Fort Collins, providing alternatives to motor vehicle trips and a transportation option welcomed by those with few alternatives. In 2021, the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University (CSU) selected Spin through a competitive Request for Proposals process to operate e-scooter and e-bike share in Fort Collins on a one-year contract renewable up to five years. Spin began operating in Fort Collins in July 2021. This is the third annual report on the Spin program, for July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. As the shared micromobility industry has matured, companies have merged or disappeared. In line with this trend, Spin merged with Bird in September 2023 and Bird/Spin restructured through Chapter 11 bankruptcy (December 2023 – March 2024). Today, only three companies offer dockless shared micromobility in the nation: Bird/Spin, Lime, and Veo. During the third year of Spin operating in Fort Collins: • Riders took 184,184 trips, traveled 276,076 miles on Spin devices, replaced an estimated 61,602 car trips, and avoided 27.5 metric tons of CO2 emissions. • Ride Report’s Shared Mobility Index for Fort Collins is 3.75 trips per day per 1,000 population, 18th in the nation of Ride Report customers. • Spin’s program in Fort Collins is their eleventh largest for number of trips in the nation, and the largest program in a mid-size city. • Spin supplied 121 vehicles for demos and tours and donated 63 hours for events and 7 CSU tours. • 111 income qualified residents took over 2,500 trips through Spin Access. • Spin filled 80 requests for adaptive trikes. • Spin relocated 435 devices in response to complaints. • 32 bike/scooter boxes were installed with incentivized parking. Dockless e-bike/e-scooter share is a flexible, climate-friendly travel option with no worry about theft for the user. Challenges this year include changes brought about by the Bird/Spin merger and subsequent bankruptcy, through which the Fort Collins Spin program continued to operate without disruption, increasing cost, and declining ridership. Spin continues to be a positive member of our community, known for responsiveness, willingness to adapt, and reliability. How is the Spin program doing? Ridership Community Partners Equity Climate Impact Safety Parking E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 7 How E-bike/E-scooter Share Works Dockless e-bike/e-scooter share offers more flexibility than a station-based system, in which riders pick up and return their e-bike/e-scooter at stations. Spin deploys e-bikes and e-scooters to approximately 250 locations within the CSU campus and the City of Fort Collins and adjusts the balance in response to demand. Riders start the ride where the device is located and end the ride at their destination, where another rider can use the device. Spin e-bikes and e-scooters can be rented through the Spin app or the Lyft app. Riders must agree to the terms and conditions and review the safety information. Spin relies on geofencing to program the speed, operation, or warning sounds on devices in no- ride zones, no-park zones, and slow zones. In no-ride zones, the motor shuts off and an alarm sounds. The device can still be pedaled or rolled manually. No-ride zones for both e-scooters and e-bikes include Old Town Square, the Shops at Foothills, and dismount zones on the CSU campus. Paved trails (except Mason Trail) are no-ride zones for e-scooters, which are prohibited from paved trails by Fort Collins Traffic Code §2101. Outside the Spin service area and in no-park zones, riders cannot end their ride. The ride continues up to 3 hours at full price or until the device is moved within the service area boundary and properly ended. The service area boundary is the city boundary but smoothed out. In slow zones, the maximum speed the device will go is 8 mph. City staff have access to aggregate ridership and device data through Ride Report. Spin staff provide monthly reports of additional data and as requested by staff. A public dashboard with a subset of this data is publicly available at https://public.ridereport.com/fortcollins. 24-26989 E-bike and E-scooter Share: How it Works Geofencing is: • Automatic GPS location • Controls speed, operation, or warning sounds • Slow zones, no ride zones, no park zones and discount zones To start a ride: • Download the Spin app • Use the app to ﬁnd a bike or scooter • Scan the QR code • Review the safety information • Start your ride To end a ride: • Tap “End Ride” • Submit a photo of the parked bike/scooter What it costs: • $1 to unlock, 40 cents per minute • Save with passes • People with low income enroll in Spin Access for 50 cent unlock and 10 cents per minute E-bike and E-scooter Share 2024 Annual Report E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 8 System Changes Year 3 and Year 4 saw changes to the contract to adjust the system to best suit the City’s needs in the changing shared micromobility environment. Year 3 Changes to the contract for Year 3 included: • Defining fleet size • Revising fleet size • Updating reporting requirements. Most communities require a maximum and/or minimum number of vehicles in the system. In the original contract, Fort Collins and CSU specified a fleet size of 500 e-scooters and 400 e-bikes but did not define fleet size or whether the size was a maximum or a minimum. Furthermore, this ratio of e-scooters and e-bikes did not align with the industry standard of about 1 ride per mean available vehicle per day, with e-scooters ridden on average 1.8 times per day and e- bikes 0.6. Therefore, in year 3 fleet size was defined as the number of e-bikes and e-scooters deployed, whether available for rent, unavailable for rent, or currently rented, maximum (400 e- bikes and 500 e-scooters) and minimum (200 e-bikes and 200 e-scooters) fleet sizes were established, and the fleet ratio was set at 40% e-bikes. Year 4 Changes to the contract for Year 4 include clarifications and trade-offs for a system that better meets the City’s needs: • Clarification of insurance requirements • Updated data sharing, eliminating requirements that were not useful and adding data that Spin has voluntarily been providing • A higher fleet maximum for events such as football games, Tour de Fat, Open Streets, etc. • Fleet ratio of 30% e-bikes, to achieve the industry standard of 1 ride per mean available vehicle per day • Increased rental rate with discount and free zones • Waived the $10 per vehicle permitting fee E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 9 Ridership The Fort Collins Spin program continues to outperform previous bike- and scooter-share services in Fort Collins; however, ridership has declined. The most important factors predicting ridership are cost and weather. Spin increased its rate from 30 cents to 33 cents per minute, and with the changes to the industry, particularly the decreased reliance on venture capital to support and the need for fees to cover operating costs, the rate is increasing again in Year 4. The City, CSU, and Spin are considering approaches to make Spin appealing and affordable to regular riders while still covering operating costs, such as monthly and 30-minute passes, and designating discount and free zones (a ride that starts in a zone is discounted or free, regardless of where the ride ends). A report from the Transportation Research and Education Center 1 found that cities often charge shared micromobility via sales tax and program fees, resulting in higher charges than most other modes of transportation including driving and ride-hailing. A white paper published by a coalition of shared micromobility providers recommended reasonable, transparent fees consistent with fees paid by similar modes2. High fees are at odds with cities’ goals for climate, active modes, equity, and Vision Zero. Historically, station-based bikeshare systems are often subsidized while dockless bike/scooter share systems are taxed. In Fort Collins, station-based shared micromobility was subsidized in the past while dockless shared micromobility has not been subsidized and is subject to both taxes and fees. As the industry has evolved from reliance on venture capital, it must be self-sustaining and cover operating costs, including taxes and fees, with revenue from rides. The rate increase from 33 cent/minute rate to 40 cent/minute in Year 4 will result in further ridership decrease. Reducing taxes and fees and/or subsidizing the program will bolster ridership and align the costs with the City’s goals. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 2 vs Year 3 Trend Number of riders Number of trips Number of miles Ride Report Index During Spin’s third year, Spin shifted from a minimum required number of e-bikes and e- scooters to a maximum fleet size of 900 devices and a minimum fleet ratio of 40% e-bikes. E- scooters are very popular; they were used for 76% of the trips. Distance doesn’t appear to affect which device users choose: the average trip length was 1 mile for both e-scooter and e-bike 1 Taxing Shared Micromobility: Assessing The Global Landscape Of Fees And Taxes And Their Implications For Cities, Riders, And Operators, J. MacArthur et al, 2024. https://trec.pdx.edu/research/project/1610 2 North America Micromobility Industry Best Practices, May 2023. https://subscriber.politicopro.com/f/?id=00000188- 1113-d7f3-a5f9-53fbc1620003 3 Because of the merger with Bird mid-year, the number of unique riders could not be directly calculated for Year 3 and are estimated based on data from 2/1/24 – 6/30/24. E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 10 trips. While most trips were less than 2 miles, 5,321 trips (2.7%) were more than five miles long. The price structure and deployment of shared micromobility caters to short trips within a 15- minute ride and first/last mile connections and are intended not to compete with rental bikes from bike shops that typically have a minimum rental period of multiple hours and must be picked up and returned to the shop. Figure 1. Daily ridership by year Trip patterns during Year 3 were similar to those seen during Years 1 and 2 with the greatest concentration of trips on CSU campus, Old Town, and neighborhoods surrounding campus. The intensity of trips on CSU campus highlights the importance of CSU as a partner in the e-bike/e- scooter share program. The efficiency of shared devices in a crowded environment and the high rates of bike theft make college campuses ideal markets for e-bike/e-scooter share. Without 2. Numbers of trips by distance during Year 3 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 11 CSU, the market might not be able to support e-bike/e-scooter share. The presence of the CSU market base allows all of Fort Collins to have access to the program. Figure 3. Heat map of trips during Year 3 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 12 Impact on Fort Collins The presence of the Spin program promotes the image of Fort Collins as a modern bicycle- friendly community that embraces technology. Spin e-bikes and e-scooters are attractive options for visitors to Fort Collins who may not have their own car or wish to use it for every trip. Peak ridership days include Tour de Fat and CSU Homecoming. Spin’s support of the community enables people who may not have a bike of their own to participate in events. Spin supports move-in tours for CSU students and is a regular presence at community events such as Bike to Work (or Wherever) Day, Open Streets, CSU’s We Ride, and CSU’s Bike to Breakfast events. Spin hosts demos with employers and other groups. Spin provided 121 devices for tours and demos, donated 63 staff hours for tours and events, and supported seven CSU tours. Spin donated ride credits to support the Shift Your Ride – University Park program (a new neighborhood-focused program this year). Spin donates ride credits as incentives for riders to take surveys, safety and parking quizzes, and to end rides in designated parking areas. E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 13 Climate Change Big Move 4 in Our Climate Future is “Convenient transportation choices: It is safe, easy, fast and affordable to get around without a car.” E-bike and e-scooter share offers a convenient alternative to cars. Spin calculates emissions avoided each month based on the month’s ridership. A survey of Spin riders in Fort Collins found that 34% use Spin devices to replace car trips. Since the program launched in July 2021, 89 metric tons CO2 emissions have been avoided. In addition to the direct emissions reduction, riders report purchasing their own e-bike, e-scooter, or adaptive trike after trying out one of Spin’s, which may have further greenhouse gas reductions. E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 14 Equity Fort Collins commits to equity in its most significant plans. One of the strategic objectives in Fort Collins’ 2024 Strategic Plan is “Identify and remove systemic barriers and advance equity so that persons of all identities, including race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, mental and physical abilities, and socioeconomic levels can access programs and services with ease and experience equitable outcomes.”. A key tenant of the Vision of Fort Collins City Plan is Community, which includes a commitment to equity. Big Move 1 in Our Climate Future addresses equity and calls for sliding scales based on income and equity in programs. A core principle of the Transportation Master Plan is “Utilize the transportation system to support a healthy and equitable community”. As a form of public transportation, e-bike and e-scooter share allow people to move around without a car, without fear of theft, and without the need to store, maintain, and charge or fuel a personal vehicle. Residents regularly contact FC Moves asking for more information about Spin because they need transportation and do not have other options. Spin has two programs that promote equity, Spin Access and Spin Adaptive, which provide options for people with low income (Spin Access) or with disabilities (Spin Adaptive). Spin Access Spin Access provides a discount for people with low income, a text option for people without a smartphone, and a cash option for people without a credit/debit card or Google Pay. Spin Access use increased by 29% between Year 1 (2,155 trips) and Year 2 (2,790 trips) but decreased 6% in Year 3 (2,626 trips). Figure 4. Number of trips taken by riders enrolled in Spin Access 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Number Spin Access Trips 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 15 The City launched GetFoCo in 2023, a one-stop portal for income-qualified residents to access services. In March, Spin Access was integrated into GetFoCo, making it easier for people to enroll. City, CSU, and Spin staff worked together to communicate the benefit and simplify the enrollment process. Enrollment in Spin Access jumped from 71 in Year 1 to 406 in Year 2 and is now over 900. However, the number of trips taken by riders enrolled in Spin Access has not increased proportionally to enrollment (Figure 6). Spin Access riders were surveyed to determine why many people enrolled but did not take a trip and what could be done to reduce barriers 4. The primary barriers were downloading and using the app and the lack of available vehicles. Another barrier observed is that people who request the Spin Access discount must create a Spin account to receive the discount. To address the barriers related to having an account and using the app, FC Moves staff worked with City Give and other stakeholders to refine how Spin Access is described in GetFoCo (emphasizing the importance of downloading the Spin app and creating an account), and developed and translated a User Guide5 and a welcome email. Spin staff had already been sending a welcome email; more people responded to a welcome email that came from the City of Fort Collins. FC Moves and Spin staff developed a system with these steps: • City Give and FC Moves staff provide a weekly list of people who have requested the Spin Access discount via GetFoCo • Spin checks the list for Spin accounts and activates the Spin Access discount on those accounts • FC Moves staff send a welcome letter describing how to use the Spin Access discount • FC Moves staff send an email to those who do not have a Spin account reminding them to create a Spin account so that the Spin Access discount can be activated • One week later, Spin checks the list a second time and actives the Spin Access discount on any new accounts With this system, 14% of people who request the Spin Access discount have already created a Spin account, and after receiving the welcome email and a reminder to create a Spin account, an additional 11% also create a Spin account, resulting in 25% of those who request the Spin Access discount with the discount activated on their account. This still leaves 75% of those who requested the discount who do not have a Spin account and therefore do not have the discount activated, but it is a substantial improvement in the number of Spin accounts with the Spin Access discount. 4 Spin Access Survey Summary, https://www.fcgov.com/fcmoves/files/2023-spin-access- survey.pdf?1706197645 5 Spin Access User Guide, https://www.fcgov.com/fcmoves/files/spin-access-user-guide.pdf?1709829300 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 16 To overcome the barrier of no vehicles where they are needed, staff are exploring installing bike/scooter boxes in affordable housing communities, in partnership with the property managers. During Year 1, Spin Cash cards were only available at the Spin warehouse (409 Delozier Drive, Unit B) which is not easily accessible. During Year 2, Spin Cash cards were also available at the FC Moves office at 200 W Mountain Ave, but by appointment only. FC Moves staff explored other options such as libraries, recreation centers and bus stations, which were determined not to be feasible for selling Cash cards. Since the merger with Bird, Spin no longer offers Cash cards, and the cash option is difficult to access. Spin is continuing to work on this issue and in the meantime works directly with riders who need this option with free text-to-unlock. Spin Adaptive In Year 3, Spin fulfilled 80 requests for trikes (Figure 7). This is more than the number of adaptive vehicle requests fulfilled for Atlanta, Davis, Phoenix, and San Francisco combined! A regular customer of Spin Adaptive is the City of Fort Collins Adaptive Recreation Opportunities (ARO) program which offers ride series for people with disabilities. Spin provided adaptive trikes for 18 ARO community rides in Summer 2024. In addition to Spin Access and Spin Adaptive, FC Moves staff are reaching out to mobile home and affordable housing communities to install bike/scooter boxes for deployment and preferred parking, so that people in these communities will have bikes and scooters available. Figure 5. Trikes in the adaptive library fleet: hand trike (left), upright trike (middle), recumbent E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 17 Safety A core principle of the Transportation Master Plan is “Support and enhance safety for all modes”. In 2023, Fort Collins adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan with a goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2032. People using e-bikes and e-scooters are vulnerable road users and are at increased risk of death or serious injury in a crash. Safety incidents Safety incidents may be reported to Spin, FC Moves, and through police reports. Crashes involving people walking and biking are known to be underreported, and that is likely to be true for crashes involving people using e-scooters as well. The North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization developed a Bike & Ped Safety Reporter tool which includes an option for people riding an e-scooter to report incidents. No incidents or concerns involving e-scooters have been reported through that tool. Spin received 1 safety incident report during Year 3, compared to 5 in Year 2 and 7 in Year 1. This incident was reported by a neighbor who found a fallen e-scooter and evidence of injury near a paving stone sidewalk. Safe behavior Spin devices are speed-governed for safety. Geofencing determines the maximum speed: • E-bikes are governed to 20 mph on roads and 15 mph on paved trails. • E-scooters are governed to 15 mph on roads. • E-bikes and e-scooters are governed to 8 mph in slow zones. In addition to speed governing, Spin promotes safe behavior of people using its e-bikes and e- scooters encouraging riders to ride in the bike lane or street, stay clear of large or turning vehicles, and use hand signals through in-app and on-device messaging and in-person events. Riders can earn $5 ride credit by passing the “Safe Six” quiz. Safe devices Spin ensures safe devices by examining each device when it is deployed and making repairs. Spin received an estimated 137 repair/maintenance requests during Year 3 (compared to 217 during Year 2 and 196 during Year 1). The decline in repair/maintenance requests may be due to users becoming more familiar with the app or how to unlock/lock bikes. Safe routes The greatest impact on e-bike and e-scooter safety is safe routes. The Active Modes Plan adopted in 2022 calls for a safe and connected network for bicyclists and pedestrians. This plan E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 18 is the first in Fort Collins to address micromobility (such as e-scooters), and it identifies the need for a safe and connected network for these modes. E-scooters can generally be accommodated by the same networks designed for bicycling and do not require a separate network, but if they are introduced to existing facilities (such as paved trails), conflict points may indicate a need for improvements. The impending update of the Strategic Trails Plan is an important opportunity to address how to provide a safe network for e-scooters, which are currently prohibited from paved trails. Concurrent with outreach for the Strategic Trails Plan, FC Moves is exploring updates to the code and strategies to manage issues with the “Which Wheels Go Where?” project. Fire Safety News reports about e-bike battery fires have raised concerns, but incidents are due to batteries that do not have safety certifications, were modified, or used improperly. Spin has always practiced safe battery handling and uses UL-certified batteries, a widely established and regarded battery safety standard. When Spin began operating in Fort Collins, Poudre Fire Authority inspected the warehouse and had no concerns. Batteries in the charging array are stored in crates with separated compartments. Batteries that sustain damage or are not working are packed in fire retardant in a metal drum until disposal. Figure 6. Batteries in the charging array (left) and packed in flame retardant for disposal (right) E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 19 Parking Parking is perhaps the most controversial issue for shared e-bikes and e-scooters. Riders do not always have good options where to end their ride and park the devices. Sometimes they make poor choices, even when there are good options available. Residents are not used to seeing these devices unattended after a ride has ended and are confused about the difference between Spin devices and personally owned devices. The devices may also be tempting to a portion of the population to push over, push into a place where it is an obstacle, or vandalize. To address improper parking, protect sidewalks, reduce complaints, and keep paths clear for people with disabilities, FC Moves staff have worked with Spin to develop, implement, and evaluate countermeasures. Study FC Moves collected photos and observations on 408 Spin bikes and scooters during Fall 2022 and 97 vehicles one year later to assess the impact of parking countermeasures and found a 12% reduction in parked vehicles that were a barrier after implementing countermeasures compared to before6. Countermeasures The parking countermeasures developed using data from the study were: • Make it easier to report improperly parked devices to Spin • Spin actively monitor for improperly parked devices • Streamline user penalties for improper parking • Provide better parking options • Revise parking regulations • Educate riders on proper parking • Spin monitor and report on parking metrics Reporting improperly parked devices Spin can be contacted by email, via the app, or calling customer service. Issues reported to FC Moves or Access Fort Collins are forwarded to the local Spin team. FC Moves staff trained Parks and Transfort operators on reporting improperly parked devices. 6 “Shared E-bikes and E-scooters: A Study of Barriers Created by Shared E-bike and E-scooter Parking and the Effects of Countermeasures to Address Barriers”, https://www.fcgov.com/fcmoves/files/shared- ebike-escooter-barriers-study.pdf?1709665329 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 20 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Relocation requests Warnings from requests *Not reported Spin monitors for improper parking Because 57% of relocation requests in Year 3 were for vehicles that were not improperly parked, relocation requests alone are insufficient to monitor for improper parking. Spin drivers routinely report improper parking when they pick up and deploy vehicles. Spin issued 294 warnings from driver reports in Year 3. Spin-initiated warnings were 61% of the 480 total warnings, with 39% of warnings due to improper parking detected as a result of a relocation request. User penalties Riders who are non-compliant for parking or other infractions may receive penalties: • 1st offense – warning. 480 issued during Year 3. • 2nd offense – 1-day suspension. 1 issued during Year 3. • 3rd offense – permanent suspension (can be appealed; minimum 15-day suspension). 5 issued during Year 3. When Spin receives a relocation request or Spin drivers identify an improperly parked device, the last rider may receive a penalty. A small percentage of improperly parked devices identified do not result in a penalty because the end-of-ride photo submitted shows that the rider parked properly, but the device was moved by someone else. However, after reviewing the photo, most improperly parked devices are determined to be parking noncompliance from the last rider, who then receives a penalty. Less than 1% of riders who receive a warning go on to receive a penalty for a 2nd or 3rd offense. Provide better parking options Providing better parking options should improve parking behavior. In the 2022 survey of riders, respondents said better parking options (41%) and designated parking areas (39%) would help them park better, even more than incentives (36%) or disincentives (7%). Other communities including Denver and Boulder have installed bike/scooter boxes to manage parking. To select where bike/scooter boxes could be placed, FC Moves staff identified hot spots where trip ends cluster using Ride Report trip end data and the ArcGIS hot spot tool. Locations were also identified in response to requests for bike/scooter boxes. These hot spots and locations were prioritized by cross referencing with junctions of bikeways and areas with an equity component. A field survey identified exact locations. Temporary “FC MOVES IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD” signs containing flyers with more information alerted residents where bike/scooter boxes were being considered. When FC Moves received objections or concerns about a proposed location (primarily due to losing an illegal parking space), that location was E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 21 removed from the list. While this approach minimizes conflict, it may result in some areas being underserved. FC Moves and Traffic Operations installed 14 bike/scooter boxes in Year 3, and 18 more in August 2024, and Larimer County installed one at the jail (Figure 8). Bike/scooter boxes on streets were placed within 30 feet of stop signs or within 20 feet of entry from the intersection where parking is not permitted, to prevent illegal parking and protect the visibility of the intersection. Riders receive $1 toward their next ride if they end their ride in a bike/scooter box and riders are actively using the bike/scooter boxes. Over 1,000 trips ended in a bike/scooter box in Year 3 (Table 1). The bike/scooter boxes have received attention, including two articles in the Coloradoan (June 30, 2023 and March 18, 2024) and a story on K99 radio (June 27, 2023). Table 1. Number of trips ending in bike/scooter boxes Marked incentivized bike/scooter box # Trip ends in Year 3 Jackson at Mulberry (City Park) 213 Harper Goff Alley (Exchange) 151 Skyline at Orchard 113 Sheldon at Oak (City Park) 107 Pitkin at Riverside 88 Baystone at City Park 86 Pitkin at Welch 50 Irish at Vine 45 Larimer County Jail 36 Avery Park 31 North College at Bike Co-op (sidewalk) 28 Jamith at Laporte 20 Spring Canyon Park 16 Jerome near Vine (neighborhood path) 10 Remington near Parker 8 Total 1002 Figure 7. A bike/scooter box on Pitkin Street near Welsh Street E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 22 Revised parking regulations While collecting data on parked devices, staff noted that there was no legal spot nearby for 75% of the devices observed. The ordinance that regulates shared mobility parking was very restrictive and difficult to understand. In August 2023, City Council changed the ordinance so that parking of shared mobility devices follows the same rules as personally owned bikes and e- bikes. Educate riders on proper parking With the change in parking regulations, FC Moves created a quiz so riders can learn how to park appropriately, avoid penalties, and receive a $5 ride credit if they get a perfect score (6/6)7. Spin actively promoted the quiz in August and September 2023. As of June 30, 2024, the survey had been attempted 1,381 times and 298 riders received a perfect score and a $5 ride credit. 7 The quiz is available at https://forms.gle/WFhBVFBjrGHnm5ke9 Figure 8. Locations of bike/scooter boxes installed as of August 3, 2024 E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 23 Figure 9. In the quiz, riders choose the best option of two parked Spin devices. Riders must get all six questions correct to receive the $5 ride incentive. E-bike & E-scooter Share│2024 Annual Report October 2024 | 24 Conclusion Successes Successes during Year 3 were in equity and parking. • Equity - Spin Access enrollment more than doubled. • Parking - Extensive measures were taken to address concerns about improper parking. Focus areas moving forward Focus areas moving forward are equity and ridership, while continuing to monitor and educate riders about appropriate parking. Equity Despite the increase in Spin Access enrollment and Spin accounts with the Spin Access discount activated, Spin Access trips did not increase, and have declined concurrent with the overall decline in Spin ridership. GetFoCo recently added Pell Grant as an eligibility option, increasing the number of students who can use Spin Access. FC Moves staff will continue promoting Spin Access via GetFoCo and CSU will promote it to students and staff. Spin designated free zones in mobile home and affordable housing communities, where all trips that begin in a free zone are free for up to 30 minutes, regardless of whether the rider is enrolled in Spin Access. Staff will promote the free zones and monitor the number of trips that begin in free zones. Staff will work with Spin to ensure that vehicles are deployed to free zones regularly. Ridership Ridership is influenced primarily by cost. Prices increased and ridership declined in Year 3 as the industry transitioned to self-supporting operations. CSU campus recently was designated a discount zone, where rides are $1 to unlock and 30 cents per minute (instead of 40 cents per minute). This has already had a promising effect on ridership. Monthly and 30-minute passes reduce costs for regular riders. Staff, CSU, and Spin are promoting these money-saving options to Spin riders. Staff are exploring sales tax exemption and public subsidies to further reduce the cost of the service and increase ridership.