HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 6/27/2023 - Memorandum From Rachel Ruhlen, Cortney Geary, And Aaron Iverson Re: Spin E-Scooters And E-Bikes: Expected Increase In UseFC Moves
200 W. Mountain Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6605
fcgov.com/fcmoves
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 20, 2023
To: Mayor Arndt and Council Members
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, PDT Service Area Director
Drew Brooks, PDT Service Area Deputy Director
From: Rachel Ruhlen, Transportation Planner
Cortney Geary, Active Modes Manager
Aaron Iverson, FC Moves Senior Manager
Subject: Spin E-scooters and E-bikes: Expected increase in use
Purpose
This memo provides an update on the Spin e-scooter and e-bike share program in Fort Collins, including
summer/fall use and other efforts regarding parking.
Summary
Shared e-bikes and e-scooters offer ease of use and last-mile mobility, bridge the gap with public
transportation, avoid congestion, and require less space for parking than motor vehicles. In 2021, the City
of Fort Collins in partnership with Colorado State University 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. The current program includes 500 e-scooters and 400 e-bikes, with average
trip lengths of around 1 mile. Detailed information about Spin in Fort Collins is posted on the FC Moves
website.
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Seasonal Use Patterns
Spin use is typically highest in the fall with the return of CSU students: In 2021 there were an average of
1,142 trips per day between August 15 and November 15, and in 2022 there were 923 trips per day
during that same period. Last summer the program saw about 900 trips per day (on a rolling average).
Peaks of over 2,000 trips per day occur at events such as Homecoming and Tour de Fat. We anticipate
seeing increased use of Spin again in Fall 2023.
Relocation and Parking
With increased use of Spin comes increased requests for relocation of devices and increased complai nts.
FC Moves and Spin have implemented measures to make it easier for people to request relocation of
Spin devices, such as direct contact information for the local team. (To contact Spin, text 970-387-2799 or
email fortcollinsops@spinteam.pm .) Spin monitors the number of requests for relocation received, how
many of those requests result in rider penalties for improper parking, and how many rider penalties are
issued from improper parking that Spin operators notice. Most relocation requests are for devices that are
not blocking anything. Riders are only penalized if the device they parked is blocking something, such as
a curb ramp, sidewalk, bike lane, etc.
FC Moves staff worked with Connor Stephens, an intern from the CSU Masters in Public Health program,
to study Spin parking behavior. Over 400 devices were observed in Fall 2022. This study found that in
most of the City, there is not a legal place to park, because the ordinance regulating parking of share d
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micromobility e-bikes and e-scooters (§24-179) is very restrictive. Changing the ordinance to allow Spin
devices to be parked on streets has the potential to reduce devices blocking something by over 50%.
Currently parking on the street is only illegal for shared micromobility. Per Traffic Code §2108, private
bikes and e-bikes can be parked on the street. The revised ordinance is scheduled to be considered by
City Council July 18, 2023 for potential adoption on August 2, 2023.
In a ridership survey taken by over 1200 Spin riders, riders indicated that better options for parking and
designated areas for parking would encourage them to park better, even more than incentives or
disincentives. To provide better options for parking, we analyzed density of Spin devices observed and
calculated that providing designated parking areas, or parking boxes, in 12 locations has the potential to
reduce problem parking (i.e., a device that
is blocking something) by approximately
10%. In May 2023, FC Moves and Traffic
installed eight parking boxes (example
shown below photo). Where parking was
well utilized, parking boxes were installed
within 30 feet of stop signs, in areas where
it is illegal to park a motor vehicle. These
will be observed over the summer and
more parking boxes are planned for
installation late summer 2023.
FC Moves will collect data on parking behavior in Fall 2023 after these steps are implemented and
compare to the data collected last fall to determine if these measures improved parking behavior.
Additionally, FC Moves is working with the Communications and Public Involvement Office to develop
educational material and a parking quiz that riders can take for ride credit. If ordinance changes are
adopted, the quiz will encourage parking on the street outs ide of downtown, where that is the best option.
The quiz, which will include images of bikes and scooters parked correctly on the street, will be promoted
to riders during September 2023.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 55613F10-30F6-48DE-BC15-C047D72AB0DB