HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 03/09/2021 - E-SCOOTER SHARE PROGRAM REVIEW & FUTURE E-SCOOTER/DATE:
STAFF:
March 9, 2021
Amanda Mansfield, Transportation Planner
Aaron Iverson, Senior Transportation Planner
Caryn Champine, Director of PDT
Dean Klingner, Deputy Director, PDT
WORK SESSION ITEM
City Council
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
E-Scooter Share Program Review & Future E-Scooter/Bike Share Program Proposal.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this work session item is to inform City Council on the electric scooter (e-scooter) share pilot
program and upcoming changes to both e-scooter share and bike share programs moving forward. Due to
impacts from COVID-19 related shutdowns, the City and CSU extended the e-scooter share pilot program through
March 31, 2021 for the purpose of gathering additional data and to allow the system to mature. The City in
partnership with CSU selected Spin as its vendor in February 2021 to manage a combined e -bike share/e-scooter
share program. In addition to presenting on key takeaways from the previous e-scooter share program and focus
areas of the upcoming e-scooter share/bike share program, City staff will be seeking Council input on select focus
areas of the upcoming program.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
City staff will seek input from Council on the following focus areas of the upcoming e -scooter/bike share program
set to launch in May 2021:
1. Does City Council have any feedback on the pilot e-scooter program to date, with any suggestions for
refinement of the program as we move forward with a new vendor?
2. Does City Council support staff and CSU in exploring the expansion of operating hours to a 24/7
model with the new vendor?
3. Does City Council support the possibility of bringing back the bike library as part of the program, likely
focused on tourists, low-income users, and adaptive device users?
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
E-Scooter Share Pilot Program Review
The following are findings and observations from the e-scooter pilot:
• In 2019, prior to program launch, Council adopted updates to the Traffic and City Code to regulate where
e-scooters could be ridden and parked and established an encroachment permit requirement to protect
against vendors operating without permission.
• The City started the pilot e-scooter share program in October 2019, with Bird as the sole vendor. The
system launched with roughly 400 stations and over 250 e-scooters, mostly on CSU campus and in
downtown Fort Collins, and ultimately expanded to 500 e-scooters at its high point in November 2019.
• Since launch, there have been 79,500 total rides and 16,200 unique riders, peaking at just under 22,000
rides during the month of November 2019.
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• The system shutdown from March 2020 to July 2020 due to COVID-19. Restarting in July, ridership has
been between 1,500 and 6,000 rides per month, with continued impacts from COVID -19, in particular
fewer people in Old Town and on the CSU campus.
• Most rides during the pilot period were estimated by Bird to be in or near CSU (between 60% and 80%),
with downtown ridership numbers estimated to account for approximately 20% of rides.
• Ridership downtown has been impacted by issues related to the accuracy of no -ride zones, limiting areas
for e-scooters to ride in the Old Town area. Staff has identified this as a combination of issues with the
geo-fence technology (virtual maps that create zones where the e-scooters can and cannot operate) and
the e-scooters themselves. Newer generations of e-scooters, which are now being deployed, appear to
have fewer accuracy problems.
• E-scooter parking was generally not an issue; City staff fielded roughly 25 complaints since October
2019. Common complaints beyond e-scooters being ridden into no-ride zones included e-scooters being
parked incorrectly in the pedestrian zone of a sidewalk or on private property. Bird’s response time to
complaints was typically 2 hours, which was in line with their contractual obligation.
• As of November 2020 (the latest available data) 5 crashes were reported related to e-scooters, none of
which were related to the e-scooter program, and none of which resulted in hospital treatments.
• The Transportation Board and the Bicycle Advisory Committee requested that Bird data be made
available to the public, which has since been posted on the City’s e-scooter web page
(https://www.fcgov.com/escooters).
• The Senior Advisory Board expressed concerns including poor app experience (for less tech savvy
people), arbitration rules, pre-loaded balance requirements to start a ride, and how user information is
handled. Staff will be working through these issues with the new vendor and contract.
E-Scooter Share Next Steps and Bike Share Relaunch
In October 2020 the City, in partnership with CSU, released a request for proposals for a bike share vendor
(Pace, our previous bike share vendor, went out of business in May 2020 due to compounding COVID impacts).
This request included the option for vendors to propose a bike share program combined with e -scooter
share. City and CSU staff worked through the proposal process and selected Spin as its vendor in February
2021.
The Spin e-bike/e-scooter share program will include the following changes, based on lessons learned during the
pilot and changes in the shared e-device market:
• The vendor will offer e-bikes and e-scooters under one program, accessed through the same app. E-
bikes are a newly emerging (and popular) shared device that almost every bike-share vendor is now
offering.
• The City will be working with the vendor to improve the riding experience in the Old Town area. This will
include refined dismount zones that will allow improved riding where allowed (on-street), and improved
slow-down zones and notification to users when entering no-ride zones (like Old Town Square). Next
generation e-scooters will be more responsive to stopping when entering dismount zones.
• The City and CSU will explore expanding the hours of operation for e-scooters. Currently e-scooter share
hours are 5AM - 9PM (summer) and 5AM - 9PM (winter). The Pace bike share program, during its
lifetime, operated 24/7. Vendors that were interviewed suggested allowing operation of all devices (bikes,
e-bikes and e-scooters) 24/7. In markets where they are currently operating 24/7, the re has been minimal
to no negative safety impacts, according to the vendors and the cities we contacted as references.
Additionally, it was noted that not allowing 24/7 access significantly cuts down on ridership potential and
March 9, 2021 Page 3
reduces the ability to accommodate workers with non-traditional work schedules, which has equity
implications.
• Enhancing the e-scooter and e-bike adaptive program to cater to the needs of and encourage ridership
among those in our community who are differently abled.
• Incorporating into the larger program a Bike Library station downtown. In 2008, Bike Fort Collins opened
the Fort Collins Bike Library (FCBL). FCBL included a fleet of bikes that could be rented at one of two
locations in Old Town. Bikes could be rented by the hour, or even up to several days. It became very
popular not only among residents to use for weekend rides, but tourists visiting the area, particularly to
tour Fort Collins’ great local breweries. The City contracted with Bike Fort Collins to operate and delive r
the FCBL service, and it is considered by many to have helped pioneer bike sharing regionally and
nationally, evolving and ultimately leading to the formulation of the more popular bike share model that is
known today. Several stakeholders including Bike Fort Collins and the Downtown Development Authority
(DDA) recommended including this program into any e-scooter/bike share contract moving forward. The
intended audience for the Library could be tourists, low -income users, and adaptive device users.
• Incorporating an intersection treatment into the upcoming e-scooter/e-bike share program. The selected
vendor has committed to collaborating on a project in Fort Collins which could include intersection
transformations, communal space build-outs, and protected lane pop-ups.
• Lowering rider fees where possible to advance equity and increase ridership and incentivizing longer trips
to encourage replacement of vehicle as opposed to walking or biking trips.
• Coordinating with Transfort to increase the number of trips that connect to or from public transportation to
replace vehicle trips, and coordinating the program’s app with the Transfort app.
• The combined shared e-device program will be a multi-year-contract, with options to renew. The contract
will include options for the City and CSU to adjust the system and program as needed, including
operating hours, number of deployed devices, station locations, responses to complaints regarding
operation or parking issues, refining no-ride zones, monitoring and responding to safety issues, and
considering whether to permit e-scooters on Parks and Natural Area trails.
• City staff will provide an annual report to leadership and Council throughout the duration of the program
contract. Evaluation metrics to be established by City and CSU staff will be incorporated into the report
and will reflect the key focus areas discussed above. Metrics will be used to report on safety, ridership,
rider compliance with regulations, revenue, number of car trips replaced, app funct ionality, number of first
mile/last mile trips taken in combination with Transfort trips, number of low -income users, and the success
of the adaptive program, the Bike Library, 24/7 operating hours and the intersection treatment program
and more.
Next Steps
City and CSU staff selected Spin to be our new e-scooter/e-bike share vendor at the end of February and expect
to launch the program in May. City staff are in discussions with Bird to extend their contract beyond March 31 to
prevent a gap in service prior to the launch of the new program. City staff will provide Council with the first Annual
Report in December 2021.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Powerpoint Presentation (PDF)
E-Scooter/Bike Share Program ReportCity Council Work Session March 9, 2021ATTACHMENT 1
2Image source: SpinQuestions for Council1. Does City Council have any feedback on the pilot e-scooter program to date, with any suggestions for refinement of the program as we move forward with a new vendor?2. Does City Council support staff and CSU in exploring the expansion of operating hoursto a 24/7 model with the new vendor?3. Does City Council support the possibility of bringing back the bike library as part of the program, likely focused on tourists, low-income users, and adaptive device users?ATTACHMENT 1
3Strategic Alignment Micromobility (incl. e-scooter/bike share) programs are prioritized in the 2019 Fort Collins City Plan 1. Principle T 3: Lead transportation innovation by exploring and utilizing emerging and transformative systems and technologies.2. Principle T 5: Ensure that transit is a safe, affordable, efficient and convenient travel option for people of all ages and abilities.3. Principle T 6: Support bicycling as a safe, easy and convenient travel option for all ages and abilities by building a connected network of facilities.4. Principle T 10: Support and enhance safety for all modes.ATTACHMENT 1
E-Scooter Share BackgroundCity strategies put in place pre-launch to regulate e-scooters• Operation regulations• Parking regulations • Downtown Dismount Zone regulation• Dismount at crosswalk Code amendment• Natural area and park trails prohibition (except Mason)• Use of existing encroachment permits 4Image Source: Bird Rides, IncATTACHMENT 1
E-Scooter Share Background (Cont’d)• 1-year pilot launched October 2019• 400 e-scooter stations/250 e-scooters; 500 e-scooters at height (11/19)• Total rides: 79,500; peaked at 22,000 (11/19)• Unique riders: 16,200• Average ride distance: 0.66 miles• Average ride minutes: 9.3 • Amt. of CO2 emissions avoided: 46,618 lbs.5Image Source: Bird Rides, IncATTACHMENT 1
E-Scooter Share Background (Cont’d) 62020 Operational Changes • Re-launch: July 8, 2020• Number of e-scooters: 100• Hours of Operation: Summer: 5AM –9PM, Winter: 5AM – 7:30PM/9PM• Contract extension (12/31/2020; 3/31/2021)• Fleet Manager model• Per ride payment modelATTACHMENT 1
Bike Share 2020 Developments7• In March Zagster scaled back bike share system to ensure sustainability • On March 27 Zagstersuspended bike share services due to Covid-19• On May 27 Zagster terminated programImage Source: City of Fort Collins stock photoATTACHMENT 1
E-Scooter/Bike Share RFP Timeline8• June 1 City released bike share RFI• October 19 City released RFP• 4 companies submitted by November 20, 2020• Interviews/Demos with 2 companies: January 8-15, 2021• Vendor selected: February 2021• Planned program launch: May/June 2021Image Source: City of Fort Collins stock photoATTACHMENT 1
9Image source: Bethany Baker, The Coloradoan • Geofencing/GPS functionality of Bird 2s• Safety and perception of safety• Ridership and vehicle and station density• Sustainability • Equitable access• Compliance with riding/parking rules • Hours• Input from communityE-Scooter Share Successes & ChallengesATTACHMENT 1
10Image source: Dimitri Psoras, SpinRefining dismount zone polygons Hours of operationBike LibraryIntersection treatmentSufficient stock/densityIncreasing low-income user ridership by decreasing costEncouraging longer trips to encourage vehicle trip replacementApp integration with Transfort app/Mobility as a ServiceImproved adaptive programMobility hubs/downtown designated parking areas2021 E-Scooter/Bike Share Focus Areas ATTACHMENT 1
11Image source: KTARCity and CSU will launch new Spin e-scooter/e-bike share program in May/June 2021•Council/Mayor ribbon-cuttingCity staff to present first Annual Report to Council end of 2022Next Steps ATTACHMENT 1
12Image source: SpinQuestions for Council1. Does City Council have any feedback on the pilot e-scooter program to date, with any suggestions for refinement of the program as we move forward with a new vendor?2. Does City Council support staff and CSU in exploring the expansion of operating hoursto a 24/7 model with the new vendor? 3. Does City Council support the possibility of bringing back the bike library as part of the program, likely focused on tourists, low-income users, and adaptive device users?ATTACHMENT 1
Project Contact13Amanda MansfieldTransportation PlannerFC Movesamansfield@fcgov.com970-416-2040ATTACHMENT 1