Agenda Packet 2-26-20 Work Session

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February 26, 2020, Work Session – Item 2 “Micromobility device” is a fairly new term used to describe small human- and electric-powered transportation devices and includes bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, skateboards and e- skateboards. These devices are both privately owned and provided through shared services such as PeaceHealth Rides for bicycles and numerous companies that provide shared e-scooter services in cities throughout the world. These companies include Bird, Lime, JUMP, Skip, Scoot and Razor. One way to introduce shared e-scooters into our community is to conduct a pilot program where one or more companies would be invited through a request for proposals process to provide shared e-scooter services in Eugene for a set amount of time. During the pilot program, data would be collected and evaluated, and a final report would be issued at the end of the pilot to help inform the decision of whether to move forward with shared e-scooter implementation. This approach has been used in Portland and other cities. Even though e- scooters present an opportunity to achieve city goals, there are concerns that have manifested in other cities and raised by members of our community. These include the safety of e-scooter riders, e-scooter riding on sidewalks endangering people walking, parked scooters blocking sidewalks and curb ramps, and the sustainability of the scooters themselves. To get a better understanding of the public’s perspective on these issues and how to address them, city staff conducted an outreach campaign through a combination of an online survey and listening sessions with key stakeholder groups. The survey, which had 541 responses, asked people to prioritize criteria for selecting e-scooter companies that would operate in Eugene in the categories of safety, sustainability and equity. People were also asked to recommend additional evaluation criteria and to share their thoughts regarding whether e-scooters should be allowed on shared use paths and whether the scooter speeds on paths should be kept lower than the legal limit of 15 mph through a technology called geo-fencing. Staff will provide more information about the public outreach and potential e-scooter pilot at the work session. The results of the public outreach are provided as an attachment. Should City Council choose to facilitate development of a pilot project and micromobility more broadly in Eugene, a couple of changes to city code could be considered:  Explicitly defining micromobility device in the city code so that these services can be regulated by the city; and  Allowing electric micromobility devices on shared use paths in Eugene; other than electric bicycles, such devices are currently prohibited on the city’s shared use paths. All electric micromobility devices, including electric bicycles, are currently prohibited in East Alton Baker Park. Next steps if City Council elects to move forward with the pilot program:  Hold a public hearing on changes to the city code.  Adopt changes to city code.  City staff will develop and issue a request for proposals in order to select one or more companies to offer shared e-scooter services in Eugene.  Staff will select a scooter company and launch pilot program.  Conclude pilot program, develop final report and provide findings to City Council.