HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/24/2020 - Memorandum From Amanda Mansfield Re: Status Of Electric Scooter Pilot ProgramFC Moves
281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.224.6058
970.221.6239 - fax
fcgov.com/transportation
Planning, Development & Transportation
MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 5, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and City Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, PDT Director
Dean Klingner, PDT Deputy Director
Aaron Iverson, FC Moves, Senior Manager
FROM: Amanda Mansfield, FC Moves, Transportation Planner
RE: Status of Electric Scooter Pilot Program
Bottom Line
The purpose of this memo is to inform City Council on the status of the electric scooter (e -scooter) pilot
program. Due to impacts from COVID related shutdowns and program impacts t he City and CSU plan to
extend the pilot program through March 31, 2021 with the option to renew monthly, for the purpose of
gathering additional data and allow the system to mature. Included in the contract extension is a change in
winter operating hours to 9:00 PM which currently end at 7:30 PM. City staff will attend a future Council
Work Session at the end of the extended pilot period to report on the program and seek Council input. The
e-scooter program, with Bird as the vendor, operated starting in late October 2019, shut down in March
2020 due to COVID, and relaunched in July 2020 with a smaller fleet. Some preliminary observations
during this initial period include the following:
Since launch, there have been 70,500 total rides and 15,000 unique riders, peaking at just under 22,000
rides during the month of November 2019.
Most rides were in/near CSU (between 60% and 80%), with downtown ridership estimated at 20% of rides.
As of October 2020, 5 collisions have occurred since launch with no serious injuries resulting in
hospitalizations.
Bird’s response time to parking/operation complaints or e-scooter issues was typically 2 hours, which was
in line with their contractual obligation.
The GPS technology to limit riding in the downtown dismount zone has been inconsistent resulting in
imperfect compliance. Further, in order to ensure the geofencing polygons drawn around dismount zones
would cover them completely (making them unrideable for Bird e-scooters), the polygons had to be
extended so far into the street (where e-scooters are permitted to ride), that street riding has often been
hindered as well.
In August 2020, Bird introduced an updated scooter model in Fort Collins which should improve the issues
with dismount zone compliance and improved rider experience in and around Old Town
E-Scooter Next Steps and Bike Share Relaunch
The City and CSU will continue to monitor the e-scooter program through the extended pilot period.
Additionally, in October 2020 the City in partnership CSU has released a request for proposals for a new
bike share vendor. The existing bike share vendor went out of business in May 2020 due to compounding
COVID impacts. This request includes the option for vendors to propose a bike share program or a
combined e-scooter and bike share program, which may impact the current e-scooter program. The
results of proposals should be finalized by the end of 2020.
The staff member to contact with questions or concerns regarding e-scooter and bike share is Amanda
Mansfield at amansfield@fcgov.com or 970-416-2040.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 16597A81-56D1-4831-A879-3EC71348BDA2