HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/21/2023 - Memorandum From Rachel Ruhlen, Cortney Geary, And Aaron Iverson Re: Fort Collins E-Scooter And E-Bike Share Program 2023 Annual ReportFC Moves
200 W Mountain Ave Suite A
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
fcgov.com/FCMoves
FC Moves
MEMORANDUM
Date: November 10, 2023
To: Mayor Arndt and Council Members
From: Rachel Ruhlen, Transportation Planner
Cortney Geary, Active Modes Manager
Aaron Iverson, FC Moves Senior Manager
Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, PDT Service Area Director
Drew Brooks, PDT Service Area Deputy Director
Subject: Fort Collins E-scooter and E-bike Share Program 2023 Annual Report
Purpose
The purpose of this memo is to provide background information on the following report analyzing the
second year of the Spin e-scooter and e-bike share program in Fort Collins.
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. Detailed information about Spin in Fort Collins is posted on the FC Moves
website.
Fort Collins is a national leader in this rapidly evolving industry. As such, City staff believe it is important
to monitor the program closely. Per our contract with Spin, City staff are regularly provided with data
about the service.
The Fort Collins E-scooter and E-bike Share Program 2023 Annual Report is attached.
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E-bike and E-scooter Share
2023 ANNUAL REPORT
in partnership with:
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Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4
How E-bike/E-scooter Share Works ........................................................................................... 6
Ridership .................................................................................................................................... 8
Impact on Fort Collins ...............................................................................................................12
Climate Change ........................................................................................................................13
Equity ........................................................................................................................................14
Spin Access...........................................................................................................................14
Spin Adaptive ........................................................................................................................15
Spin Passes ..........................................................................................................................16
Safety .......................................................................................................................................17
Safety incidents .....................................................................................................................17
Safe behavior ........................................................................................................................17
Safe devices ..........................................................................................................................17
Safe routes ............................................................................................................................18
Fire Safety .............................................................................................................................18
Parking .....................................................................................................................................19
Study .....................................................................................................................................19
Countermeasures ..................................................................................................................19
Reporting improperly parked devices .................................................................................20
Spin monitors for improper parking ....................................................................................20
User penalties ....................................................................................................................20
Provide better parking options ............................................................................................21
Revised parking regulations ...............................................................................................22
Educate riders on proper parking .......................................................................................22
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................23
Year 3 Equity .........................................................................................................................23
Year 3 Parking .......................................................................................................................23
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23-25717 | Auxiliary aids and services are available for persons with disabilities.
195 income qualified
residents took almost 3,000 discounted trips
with Spin Access
Spin donated 56 hours
for City and CSU
events and tours
Spin provided
adaptive vehicles for 138 requests
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 2023 Annual Report
28,731
riders
30.7
metric tons of CO2
emissions avoided
367,073
miles
81,769
car trips replaced
Spin filled requests for City and
CSU demos and tours with 170 bikes/scooters
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Introduction
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
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 second annual report on the Spin program, for
July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.
How is the Spin program doing?
Ridership Holding steady
Community Partners Strong
Equity Improving
Climate Impact Strong
Safety Strong
Parking Improving
During the second year of Spin operating in Fort Collins:
• 28,731 people took 240,493 trips, traveled 367,073 miles on Spin devices, replaced
an estimated 81,768 car trips, and avoided 30.7 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
• Ride Report’s Shared Mobility Index for Fort Collins is 4.08 trips per day per 1,000
population (up from 3.5 last year), 16th in the nation of Ride Report customers
(Boulder’s Lime program is 21st at 3.02).
• Spin’s program in Fort Collins is their eighth largest for number of trips in the nation,
and the largest program in a mid-size city.
• Between April 1 and July 31, 2023, Spin accommodated 170 requests for vehicles for
demos and tours and donated 56 hours for events and tours. This included eight City
tours.
• 195 income qualified residents took almost 3,000 trips through Spin Access.
• Spin filled 138 requests for adaptive vehicles (upright trike, recumbent trike, or hand
trike).
• Six safety incidents were reported. Most of these incidents were related to falls
when Spin vehicles slowed or stopped in slow zones or no-ride zones.
• Spin relocated 482 devices in response to complaints. To request relocation,
text 970-387-2799 or email fortcollinsops@spinteam.pm.
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Spin continues to be a positive member of our community, known for responsiveness,
willingness to adapt, and reliability. Dockless e-bike/e-scooter share is a flexible travel option
with no worry about theft. Fort Collins is one of many communities learning how it interacts with
the existing transportation system, the public right-of-way, and current laws and regulations. As
other localities have found, complaints about parking continue to be common, and FC Moves is
implementing countermeasures that will be evaluated in Fall 2023.
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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
at 219 locations around Fort Collins, adjusting the balance in response to demand. Riders start
the ride where the device is located and end the ride at their destination.
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 CSU campus. Paved trails (except a segment of
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 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.
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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
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, 33 cents per minute
• Save with hour, day, or month passes
• People with low income enroll in Spin Access
for 50 cent unlock and 10 cents per minute
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Ridership
The Fort Collins Spin program continues to outperform previous bike- and scooter-share
services in Fort Collins. Ridership during Year 2 was still high but lower than Year 1. The most
important factor predicting ridership is weather, and unusually rainy weather during Year 2 likely
reduced ridership.
Year 1 Year 2 Trend
Number of riders 30,348 28,731 5% decrease
Number of trips 271,114 240,493 11% decrease
Number of miles 409,795 367,073 10% decrease
Ride Report
Ranking
#6 #16 Ride Report has added many more communities in
the past year
During Spin’s second year, Spin increased the number of bikes in the system to 400 which more
closely matches the number of scooters (500). This increase was 50 bikes per month and was
achieved by October 31, 2022. E-scooters are very popular; they made up 56% of the fleet after
the bike increase and were used for 72% of the trips; the percentage of e-scooter trips actually
increased to 80% after the target number of bikes was reached. Of the 28,731 unique users,
87% (24,966) had used an e-scooter at least once and 47% (11,656) had used an e-bike at
least once. Distance doesn’t appear to affect which device users choose: the average trip length
was 1 mile for both e-scooter and e-bike trips. While most trips were less than 2 miles, over
8,848 trips (3.7%) were more than five miles long.
Figure 1. Daily ridership for Year 1 and Year 2
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Trip patterns were similar to those seen during Year 1 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 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. In a survey of Spin riders, 39% identified as CSU
undergraduate students and 22% were graduate students, visiting students, faculty, staff, or
preferred not to say. The majority of riders (57%) have some CSU affiliation, while a substantial
segment (39%) are unaffiliated with CSU.
Figure 2. Numbers of trips by distance during Year 2
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Figure 3. Heat map of trips during Year 2
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In response to rider requests, Spin expanded service hours to 24 hours per day. Previously,
service was shut down between 1 am and 3 am, and since expanding service hours, there have
not been any safety incidents reported during the 1-3 am window. Trips peaked at 4 pm with the
lowest ridership at 3 am.
Figure 4. Number of trips by hour during Year 2
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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 participated in a pilot program for encouraging active
transportation among employees at the College of Business at CSU. Finally, Spin hosts demos
with employers and other groups.
Beginning in April 2023, Spin began reporting data related to Spin’s contributions to the
community outside of its regular operations. Between April 1 and June 30, 2023, Spin provided
166 devices for tours and demos, donated 56 staff hours for tours and events, and supported
eight City tours. Spin donated over $200 ride credits for Bike Buddies who mentor e-bike
recipients in the Choose Your Ride, Shift Your Ride program (a grant from the Colorado Energy
Office to provide e-bikes and Spin passes to people with low income). Spin donates ride credits
as incentives for riders to take surveys, quizzes, and end rides in a designated parking area.
Local organizations have reached out about incorporating e-bike and e-scooter share for their
clients. A local developer sought advice from FC Moves on how best to accommodate shared
micromobility and promote cleaner transportation among residents and shoppers. Staff from the
Larimer County Jail reached out to the Transportation Board asking for help identifying
transportation options for people leaving the jail. FC Moves staff worked with them and loaned
out stencils so they could convert two of their parking stalls to bike/scooter parking boxes.
The Fort Collins Spin program has received national attention. FC Moves served on a panel
about shared micromobility at the annual conference of the National Association of City
Transportation Officials in May 2023. Spin, FC Moves, and CSU presented about the program
at the International Town & Gown Association conference hosted by CSU in June 2023. FC
Moves has had several requests from other communities around the country seeking
information on successful shared micromobility programs.
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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, 62 metric tons CO2 emissions have been avoided.
Figure 5. Emissions avoided by month since the start of service (Years 1 and 2), assuming 34% trips
replace motor vehicle trips
The City received a grant from the Colorado Energy Office in 2022 and distributed one-year
Spin passes to 75 City employees and 75 low-income members of the community as part of the
Shift Your Ride program to encourage shifting from driving to another mode of transportation.
Participants in this program took 2,727 trips and traveled 4,827 miles.
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Equity
One of the strategic objectives in Fort Collins’ 2022 Strategic Plan is “Advance equity for all with
an emphasis on racial justice to remove systemic barriers so that persons of all identities,
including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, class, sexual orientation, and mental and
physical abilities can fully participate in City services and experience equitable community
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 and maintain a personal
vehicle. Residents have contacted FC Moves asking for more information about Spin because
they are in need of transportation:
• One resident walks and bikes for transportation but may not be able to continue as
she begins cancer treatment. She plans to use Spin to get to medical appointments
and she can combine Spin with transit so she doesn’t have to worry about theft or
loading her own bike on and off the bus.
• One resident is vision impaired and does not drive. With Spin, he doesn’t worry about
theft and he can get to his destinations several miles away more quickly than on his
regular bike.
• One resident reported walking up to an hour coming home from his night shift or if he
missed his bus, until he discovered Spin, which reduced the amount of time he spent
traveling and made his trips more reliable.
Spin has two programs that promote equity, Spin Access and Spin Adaptive. Both of the
programs and their related results in Year 2 are presented next.
Spin Access
Spin Access provides a discount for people with low income, a text option for people without a
smartphone, and Spin Cash cards for people without credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Google
Pay. In addition to these programs, the City of Fort Collins has received grant funding to provide
Spin Passes, good for free rides, to people with low income.
Spin Access use increased by 29% between Year 1 (2,155 trips) and Year 2 (2,790 trips). Like
overall ridership, Spin Access use was lower in Spring and Summer of 2023 than it was in 2022.
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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. Enrollment in Spin Access jumped from 71 in Year 1 to 406 in Year 2. Of those who
enrolled, 195 took at least one trip during Year 2. FC Moves staff plan to develop a survey to
determine why many people enrolled but did not take a trip and what could be done to reduce
barriers.
During Year 1, Spin Cash cards were only available at the Spin warehouse (409 Delozier Drive,
Unit B) which is not easily accessible. Spin Cash cards are now available at the FC Moves
office at 200 W Mountain Ave, but by appointment only. FC Moves and Spin staff continue to
look for satellite locations where Spin Cash cards can be purchased more conveniently. Several
possibilities have been explored, such as libraries, recreation centers and bus stations, but are
not currently feasible.
What Spin Access Users are Saying
“Thank you so much for this service. You
have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
“Thank you so much... This will help out a
lot. I really appreciate the help.”
“I can take three times as many trips!”
Figure 6. Number of trips taken by riders enrolled in Spin Access
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Number Spin Access Trips
2021 2022
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Spin Adaptive
Spin fulfilled 138 requests for adaptive vehicles between March 2023 – June 2023.
A regular customer of Spin Adaptive is the City of Fort Collins Adaptive Recreation
Opportunities program which offers ride series for people with disabilities. Spin provided bikes
for ten community rides in Summer 2023.
In addition to Spin Access and Spin Adaptive, Spin and FC Moves staff examined deployment
locations to ensure that areas with a high Health Equity Index – indicating potential social and
environmental vulnerability – are fairly served. Unfortunately, appropriate deployment locations
could not be identified to increase deployment in these areas due to lack of public right-of-way.
As the Spin program gains experience with parking countermeasures, private property owners
in areas with high Health Equity Index may be encouraged to install parking boxes that can be
used for deployment and to manage parking.
Spin Passes
The City received a Transportation Demand Management Innovation Grant from Colorado
Department of Transportation in 2022 and distributed 75 one-year Spin passes as part of the
Shift Your Ride program to encourage shifting from driving to another mode of transportation.
Spin passes are good for five free trips per day and were given to income qualified residents
through GetFoCo. At the end of the program year, the Spin pass recipients are enrolled in Spin
Access. Spin pass recipients have taken 2,727 trips and traveled 4,828 miles.
“Spin has been more than accommodating
with helping support our adaptive cycling
program. Bikes were always delivered on time
and in great condition. The people at Spin are
great to work with and were able to provide us
with cycles that met our participant's needs!
Looking forward to using Spin Adaptive in the
future!" - Recreation Department staff
Figure 7. Trikes in the adaptive library fleet
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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 5 safety incident reports during Year 2, compared to 7 in Year 1. All Year 2 safety
reports to Spin related to falls when a Spin bike or scooter slowed or stopped as they entered a
geofenced slow zone or a no-ride zone. FC Moves received one report in Year 2 where an
individual riding their personal bicycle reported they collided with a Spin scooter that had been
parked in a bike lane.
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.
However, the safety incidents reported were related to falls caused by changes in speed when
riders entered a slow zone or trail, so no-ride and slow zones should be used sparingly.
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 217 repair/maintenance requests during Year 2 (compared to 196 during Year 1).
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These requests include users who were unfamiliar with the app or how to unlock or lock
devices.
Safe routes
Like bicycle safety, the greatest impact on 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 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. These devices 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, conflict points may indicate a need for
improvements. The update of the Trails Master Plan is an important opportunity to address how
to provide a safe network for e-scooters, which are currently prohibited from paved trails.
Fire Safety
Recent national news reports about e-bike battery fires have raised concerns, but these are
mostly 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 8. Batteries in the charging array (left) and packed in flame retardant for disposal (right)
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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 worked with Connor Stephens, an intern with the CSU Masters of Public Health
program, who designed a study and collected data, with photos and observations on 408 Spin
bikes and scooters during September and October 2022. Because parking rules are different on
CSU campus, only off-campus parking was studied. On campus, Spin bikes and scooters must
be parked near a bike rack. Off campus, the parking requirement was near a bike rack, on a
hard surface between the sidewalk and the road, or in a specifically designated area.
Using this data, FC Moves staff developed several parking countermeasures. Many partners
provided feedback on these, including Spin, Traffic Operations, Streets, Police, Code
Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Disability Advisory Board, the Bicycle Advisory Committee,
and the Transportation Board.
In Fall 2023, data will be collected again to evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures and
a full report will be prepared.
Countermeasures
The parking countermeasures developed using data from the study are:
• 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
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Reporting improperly parked devices
FC Moves and Spin have made it easier than ever to submit relocation requests or complaints.
Spin can be contacted by email, text, phone, or via the app. Issues reported to FC Moves or
Access Fort Collins are forwarded to Spin. These measures have been successful, as Spin
received 441 1 relocation requests during Year 2, compared to 157 received in Year 1. These
requests resulted in 150 warnings issued for improper parking. The steps taken to improve the
ease of relocation requests were:
• FC Moves posted Spin’s local team contact information on the FC Moves website.
• Spin changed customer service contractors to one that performed better at routing
complaints to the local Spin team.
• Spin installed stickers with the local team’s text number on bikes and scooters.
• FC Moves staff spoke to Transfort operators and Parks staff to explain and encourage
relocation requests.
• FC Moves staff posted information about relocation requests in Fort Shorts, the
Momentum newsletter, and other City communications.
Spin monitors for improper parking
Because 66% of relocation requests are for properly parked devices, Spin staff routinely monitor
for improper parking. Spin streamlined its process by providing a Slack channel for drivers to
report improper parking when they are picking up and deploying devices. Spin issued 141
warnings initiated by Spin staff between January 1, when Spin began reporting this data, to
June 30, 2023. Spin-initiated warnings are 59% of the 291 total warnings, with relocation
requests responsible for the remaining 41%.
User penalties
Riders who are non-compliant for parking or other infractions may receive penalties:
• 1st offense – warning. 291 issued during Year 2.
• 2nd offense – 1-day suspension. 5 issued during Year 2.
• 3rd offense – permanent suspension (can be appealed; minimum 15-day
suspension). 4 issued during Year 2.
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, most improperly parked
devices are determined to be noncompliant for the last rider. Less than 1% of riders who receive
a warning commit a 2nd or 3rd offense.
1 Excluding over 60 requests sent by a single resident
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Provide better parking options
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 painted boxes with
bike and scooter symbols inside.
FC Moves installed seven parking boxes in May 2023 with support from Traffic Operations.
Parking 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 parking box.
Initial usage data suggest that riders are actively using the parking boxes.
Marked incentivized parking box Ride ends that resulted in $1 credit in July 2023
Jackson and Mulberry 13
Orchard and Skyline 10
Baystone and City Park 10
Jamith and Laporte 4
Pitkin and Welch 4
Bike Co-op (sidewalk) 3
Seven parking boxes were installed but one was not incentivized because a resident objected to
the placement of the box, so data on that one is not available. More parking boxes will be
installed in September 2023 and Summer 2024.
Parking box program lessons learned
During discussions with the Disability Advisory Board, Bicycle Advisory Committee,
Transportation Board, and residents, parking boxes were very well received. However, some
residents objected to losing their parking space (even though it is not a legal parking space).
Figure 9. A parking box on Pitkin Street near Welsh Street
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One person expressed their objection through graffiti. Although a letter was sent in advance to
residents who live where the parking boxes were located, one resident said they did not receive
the letter and objected as it was being installed. As a result of feedback from residents, FC
Moves created temporary “FC MOVES IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD” signs and flyers to alert
residents where bike/scooter parking boxes are being considered.
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 The
quiz is available at https://forms.gle/WFhBVFBjrGHnm5ke9.
Figure 10. 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.
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Conclusion
Year 2 of the Spin program has been highly successful. Ridership is down slightly from Year 1
but still strong. Spin Access enrollment has more than doubled. Extensive measures have been
taken to address concerns about improper parking. For Year 3, improvements to the Spin
program will continue to focus on equity and parking. Data collection and monitoring will
continue to be important in assessing the performance of the program.
Year 3 Equity
Despite the increase in Spin Access enrollment, Spin Access trips have not increased. Data
from the Spin Pass recipients in the Choose Your Ride, Shift Your Ride program and reaching
out to people enrolled in Spin Access – both those who have and have not used it – will help
identify the barriers to using Spin Access and develop strategies to increase Spin Access use.
Before Spin launched in Fort Collins, Spin staff reached out to mobile home communities about
locating a deployment spot convenient to their residents, such as in their parking lot, but they
were declined. As bike/scooter parking boxes are installed and more data is collected about
their use, outreach to mobile home communities and other services in areas with high Health
Equity Index may be worth pursuing again. While the City cannot install bike/scooter parking
boxes on private property, the stencils made for the symbols inside the box can be loaned out.
Year 3 Parking
FC Moves installed additional bike/scooter parking boxes in September 2023, bringing the total
to 15, and will install more in 2024. While there is a need for more bike/scooter parking boxes in
some neighborhoods, there are also locations where there is a need but not a place in the
public right-of-way where they could be placed. To address that need, data and experience with
bike/scooter parking boxes can be shared with private property owners in areas where there is a
need, and the stencils can be loaned out to facilitate installation of bike/scooter parking boxes.
Having implemented parking countermeasures during the summer of 2023, FC Moves staff will
collect and analyze parking behavior data and will prepare a full report.
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