Miami plan would reduce scooters’ hours and numbers

The scooter program in the City of Miami has been both praised and criticized, and a pilot program was shut down last fall, then revived with more safety regulations enacted.

A proposal to approve a permanent motorized scooter rental program for a portion of the city has been stalled for 13 months while city officials studied the matter.

On the city commission’s agenda for today (10/27) is a proposal from Commissioners Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Ken Russell to amend the current ordinance governing “bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and other similar devices” by modifying and providing for additional safety measures and other regulations, and add Division 2 to provide for the permanent motorized scooter program.

It would be the first of two readings before final enactment.

The proposal was scheduled for first reading Oct. 13 but was deferred by unanimous vote.

Scooters were discussed at the Oct. 13 meeting, with City Manager Art Noriega saying, “The issue we have with the scooters now is that we have too many of them.”

Mr. Diaz de la Portilla responded, “No. You have too many per block.”

The latest proposal would limit the number of motorized scooters allowed on one city block to two, and make them available for rental from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The proposal notes the history of the scooter program.

In October 2018, the commission established a Motorized Scooter Pilot Program within Commission District 2.

Mr. Russell represents District 2, which encompasses parts of the neighborhoods of Coconut Grove, Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater and more.
Rollout of the pilot program was delayed due to permitting, information technology, technical, and other issues.

A resolution adopted Dec. 12, 2019, extended the pilot program to April 15, 2020, for the city’s administration to pursue a thorough and competitive sealed solicitation process for the establishment of a permanent Motorized Scooter Program.

On Sept. 24, 2020, the commission extended the pilot program until the execution and rollout of a permanent program or until the end of the pilot program.

There were also delays in the pilot program due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result of unsafe conditions posed by the scooters and numerous accidents reported in the city rights-of-way, the commission terminated the pilot program Nov. 18, 2021.

At a special city commission meeting Nov. 29, 2021, the commission reinstated the pilot program, and directed the city manager to immediately implement safety measures.

Also at that meeting, there was a request for an ordinance to codify additional safety measures for the pilot program and the eventual permanent program.

That’s where the matter stands today.

The latest proposal reads: “The City hereby continues the pilot program until agreements are signed with Operators pursuant to the Request for Proposals (RFP) …

“Once the contracts are finalized pursuant to the RFP, this Pilot Program will automatically sunset and the Permanent Motorized Scooter Program … will apply.”

The legislation continues: “Any and all Motorized Scooters must be parked on a Sidewalk or other hard surface, beside a bicycle rack, or at a city-owned location on a docking station, which docking station shall display signage about the rules and regulations. Motorized Scooters may only be parked/docked on private property with the permission of the property owner.”

Each motorized scooter user must be 18 or older, and each must wear a helmet.

“No more than one person, 18 years of age or older, may ride a Motorized Scooter at any one time. There shall be a fine of $200 imposed for each instance that an unregistered person is found to be a User or passenger. The Operator shall also be fined in the amount of $200 for each instance of a minor found riding on or using a Motorized Scooter in its fleet.”

The latest proposal notes, “The (Permanent) Program shall apply to the area of the City within City Commission District 2. Motorized Scooters are not authorized by the Program under this Article in any area of the City other than City Commission District 2.”

Electric scooters got mixed reviews when they were first deployed throughout the city early in 2018. A lack of regulation and direction led to complaints, but some officials cited positive aspects that could help ease growing traffic gridlock.

The city attorney’s office went after operators of the scooters via cease-and-desist letters, and most scooters were removed from the streets.

Since then, scooters have gone through a series of pilot programs, all in Mr. Russell’s district as other commissioners opposed them in their own areas.