DEPARTMENT: Center City Development and Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Jacks
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on the Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program
SUMMARY:
A briefing on the six month Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On October 11, 2018, City Council adopted a six month pilot program which created both a permitting structure and operational rules for dockless vehicles. These regulations established rules for how companies are allowed to deploy vehicles in the right-of-way and clarified rules for users related to riding and parking vehicles. The Companies in operation prior to Council adoption were provided with one month to submit complete permit applications. CCDO is monitoring the program and coordinating enforcement during the pilot program period.
Dockless vehicles are a new transportation mode that includes GPS enabled bicycles, electric assisted bicycles, or electric scooters. These vehicles are introduced by private companies who place them in the city’s right-of-way so they can be used by customers or subscribers through a phone application. The first company to launch service in San Antonio was Bird which entered the market on June 22, 2018. Lime then launched service on July 25th and Razor launched service in October. These companies have all since obtained permits to operate under the pilot program. In addition, the City has received permit applications from other operators, including Jump which launched service with both scooters and ebicycles on Tuesday, January 15th, and Spin which has obtained a permit to operate 500 scooters, but has not yet established a launch date. A summary of the operators who have been issued permits and the number of vehicles they are allowed to introduce into the market can be found in the table below:
|
Company |
Scooters |
e-Bikes |
Permit Application Status |
|
Razor |
1,000 |
|
Approved |
|
Bird |
4,500 |
|
Approved |
|
Lime |
4,000 |
|
Approved |
|
Spin |
500 |
|
Approved |
|
Jump |
2,000 |
2,000 |
Approved |
|
Total |
12,000 |
2,000 |
-- |
In December 2018, the vendors reported 293,000 rides on the dockless vehicles. The city has issued 12,000 permits for scooters and 2,000 E-bikes. In December, three companies had permits for 9,500 vehicles, and on average there were 6,563 vehicles deployed daily.
ISSUE:
The City of San Antonio has embraced the micromobility movement and adopted a pilot program with lighter regulation to better understand the market and its impacts on San Antonio. The pilot program is at the half way mark and the usage numbers have been telling. There is a demand for dockless vehicles. However, notable concerns with dockless vehicles remain.
• The large number of vehicles located on the sidewalk leads to pedestrian conflicts and the potential for blocking ADA curb ramps.
• Safety concerns related to potential rider injuries and concerns with the vehicles operating in prohibited areas like parks, the river walk, Alamo Plaza and other noteworthy public spaces downtown.
• Impacts to the maintenance schedule in the public improvement district due to dockless vehicles being parked on sidewalks that are scheduled for power washing.
This briefing to the Transportation Committee will be the first update since the pilot program was adopted. This briefing will provide an overview of the existing environment for dockless vehicles, the engagement plan to gather public and stakeholder input that will inform potential program changes, and a high level overview of issues that have been identified during the first half of the pilot program. CCDO committed at adoption of the program that it would monitor the pilot and return to Council at the end of the pilot program with recommendations for potential changes. However, CCDO staff will recommend some adjustments to the pilot program for Council’s immediate consideration. The Transportation Committee may choose to take action on this issue.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Transportation Committee may choose to take action on this issue.