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Shared Mobility Devices

Learn about Arlington County's successful Shared Mobility Devices (SMDs) program, including key benefits, challenges, regional coordination efforts, public outreach strategies, and operator requirements. Explore how the county addresses challenges like sidewalk riding and improper parking through education and infrastructure improvements. Discover the equity initiatives, data monitoring requirements, and evaluations shaping the program's success. Stay informed about approved operators, fleet sizes, enforcement actions, and usage highlights.

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Shared Mobility Devices

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  1. Shared Mobility Devices Patricia Carroll  Legislative Director, County Manager's Office Presenting to Virginia Municipal League 2019 Annual Conference

  2. What is it? • Various terms in use: micromobility, dockless bikeshare, scootershare, etc. Arlington County uses “Shared Mobility Devices” (SMDs). • Includes stand-up escooters and e-bikes • Customer downloads an operator app, finds a device in the app, and when finished, parks anywhere within reason.

  3. Why allow SMDs? • New transportation option • First/last-mile connection to transit • Encourage non-single occupancy vehicle trips • Improve air quality • Decrease congestion • Another tool for Transportation Demand Management

  4. Background in Arlington County • June 2018 • Bird enters Arlington with 500 escooters before pilot program launched • September 2018 • Arlington County Board approves pilot SMD program • June 2019 • Arlington County Board extends pilot SMD program through December 31, 2019

  5. Arlington Pilot Program • 15-month pilot program • 10/1/18-12/31/19 • Initial fleet of 350 SMDs per company • Fleet size growth allowed with performance metrics • Add 50 SMDs if operator achieves 3 trips per device per day and compliant with other terms • Require ridership data from operators • $8,000 initial permit fee and $5,000 for pilot extension • $5,000 surety bond to remove devices if operator goes bankrupt

  6. Regional Coordination • Pilot regulations drafted in consultation with regional partners • Looked at world-wide best practices • Want nearly identical regulations and data-sharing requirements to limit confusion among the public and increase cooperation among the companies

  7. Public Outreach • Presentations to numerous public committees, commissions, and civic groups • Web page with information about the pilot program • Mobility@Arlingtonva.us for public input • In-depth online feedback form to inform pilot program evaluation

  8. Challenges Top four challenges • Sidewalk riding • Improper parking • Unsafe behavior • Safety Complaints have declined throughout pilot period

  9. How to address challenges • Education • In-app messaging most effective per County evaluation • Arlington Public Schools informed parents of escooter regulations • Public events which allowed people to try a device and learn about the pilot program

  10. SMD Corrals • County built 10 on-street corrals • High density corridors near Metrorail and transit stops • Allowing operators to deploy as many devices as will fit into corrals dramaticallyincreased usage • Built with temporary materials • Operators include corrals in apps and one operator provides an incentive

  11. How to Attract Operators • Reach out and demonstrate a willingness to work with them • Invest in more bicycle infrastructure

  12. How to Pay? • Permit fee • Flat fee ($13,000 for 15 months) • Per device fee (considering one for permanent ordinance) • How much to charge? • Future County fees will be enough to offset management costs

  13. Equity • Operators provide discounted rates for low-income individuals • Some offer cash payment options • Considering equity zones where operators must deploy percentage of their fleet similar to the city of Baltimore

  14. Data • Operators must provide live data feed to monitor fleet caps • Operators must provide monthly data reports to: • Show where people ride • Total miles and average miles traveled • Complaints from customers and general public • Crashes and injuries

  15. Operators Overview Approved Operators and Fleet Sizes Actual # on 9/6/19 (70 degrees, cloudy)

  16. Operations and Use Comparison • Shared Mobility Devices (SMDs) & Capital Bikeshare • (10/18 – 6/19)

  17. Enforcement Actions • Speed: During County testing, two operators were found not in compliance with the Pilot’s e-scooter speed limit. They were notified and their devices retested. Upon retest, the devices met the speed limit.  • Safety: One operator was suspended from the pilot after several of their e-scooters experienced a battery fire in D.C. but was recently reapproved to resume service. • Parking and deployment: Tracking reports of mis-parked vehicles, including at bus stops, and giving operators two hours to remove them, requesting removal of devices left in the public right-of-way for more than seven days.  • Data requirements: One operator was not providing required data in their monthly report. The County sent a notice to correct giving the operator seven days to provide the information or be suspended for a breach of the Memorandum of Agreement. The operator came into compliance with the MOA. 

  18. Evaluation: Use Highlights County staff and contractors created an in-depth evaluation using an online feedback form Scooter riders reported using SMDs most to access: social activities and entertainment (21%) shopping and errands (18%) connecting to Metrorail (18%)

  19. Evaluation: Use Highlights • Significant positive impact on reducing trips from ride-hailing and personal vehicles • 19% of escooter riders would have otherwise used ride-hailing  • 13% would have otherwise driven personal vehicle • Insignificant negative impact on transit use and Capital Bikeshare  • 4% would have otherwise ridden a bicycle or Capital Bikeshare • 3% would have otherwise taken a bus • 2% would have otherwise taken Metrorail • While 37% of escooter riders would have otherwise walked, people still had to walk to find the device.

  20. New state law • Existing pilot programs allowed to continue • Jurisdictions given latitude to regulate escooters and ebikes • Jurisdictions must pass ordinance by Dec 31, 2019 or else state law removes most current local restrictions

  21. Conclusions • Well-used and liked by users • Potential for community benefits • Key challenges where regulation and program refinement could improve performance include: • Parking • Speed • Sidewalk Riding • Equity • Communications and Education • Indicates need for better bicycle infrastructure

  22. If No Action by January 1, 2020 • Companies can distribute as many scooters as they choose, to any location in your locality; • Scooters can operate on sidewalks and all areas of your locality; • Scooters can operate at any speed less than 20 mph, even on sidewalks; • Parked scooters can block sidewalks, crosswalks, building entrances; Companies would not be required to pick up such scooters within a set time frame; • Localities would not collect fees to defray administrative costs of regulation or traffic enforcement;

  23. Contact Overall Project Lead: Jim Larsen, Bureau ChiefArlington County Commuter ServicesDivision of Transportation Pilot Operations Lead:Paul DeMaio, Capital Bikeshare & Shared Mobility Manager, MetroBikeArlington County Commuter Services Program Email Address:mobility@arlingtonva.us Evaluation Report Lead: Lama Bou Mjahed, Ph.D., Research Director, DS&MGArlington County Commuter Services Ordinance Lead:Ritch Viola, Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs ManagerDivision of Transportation

  24. Additional Slides for Reference

  25. Provision of HB 2752 (2019) • § 46.2-1315. Powers of localities to regulate use of motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire. • Any county, city, town, or political subdivision may (i) by ordinance regulate or (ii) by any governing body action or administrative action establish a demonstration project or pilot program regulating the operation of motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire, provided that such regulation or other governing body or administrative action is consistent with this title. Such ordinance or other governing body or administrative action may require persons offering motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire to be licensed, provided that on or after January 1, 2020, in the absence of any licensing ordinance, regulation, or other action, a person may offer motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire.

  26. Trips, Income and Location

  27. Riding and Riding Preferences

  28. Overall Trip Generation

  29. Overall Fleet Size Fluctuation

  30. Basic Crash Stats • 69 reported escooter crashes during the 9-mo. pilot period (10/18 – 6/19); equivalent to a rate of 91 crashes for a full year • Scooter crashes resulted in 31 injuries • No reported fatalities • Crash rate (by miles) similar to pedestrians and bicycles, much lower than cars • Caveat: Likely underreported (similar to pedestrian and bicycle crashes) • Caveat: Difficult to compare to other modes • Caveat: Data for other modes also imperfect • Caveat: Requires normalization with rate to understand relative risk

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