DEPARTMENT: Center City Development and Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Jacks
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT:
Amendments to the Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program
SUMMARY:
Amendments to 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. CCDO is monitoring the program and coordinating enforcement during the pilot program period. On January 22nd, the Transportation Committee endorsed amendments to the pilot program. These amendments will mitigate issues identified at the halfway point of the six month pilot program.
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. Several companies have since launched, with Lime launching service on July 25th, Razor launched service on October19th, and Jump introduced electric bicycles and scooters on January 15th. These companies have all since obtained permits to operate under the pilot program. Through December, there have been approximately 1.2 million rides in our market across all companies in operation.
In addition, the City has received permit applications from other operators, including 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 |
|
Lyft |
2,000 |
|
Under Review |
|
Blue Duck |
100 |
|
Under Review |
|
Total |
14,100 |
2,000 |
-- |
ISSUE:
The City of San Antonio has embraced the micromobility movement and adopted a pilot program with lighter regulations. This pilot program is an opportunity to better understand the market and the impact of these vehicles in 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, including concerns that operation at night may increase the likelihood of injury as a result of decreased visibility.
• 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.
The Transportation Committee endorsed several program changes that are outlined below. These amendments are interim adjustments that will address issues and unexpected consequences identified early in the pilot program.
• Imposing hours of operation between 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Authorizing the Director of the Center City Development and Operations Department with the authority to identify areas where vehicles must be removed to accommodate special events, construction, and maintenance work performed by the Public Improvement District. The Director shall have the authority to establish the time for any required removal and any subsequent deployment.
• Vehicles parked in prohibited areas or blocking ADA facilities may be removed without warning. The impoundment fee will not apply.
o City staff, Centro, and identified partners will be authorized to remove vehicles
In addition to these adjustments, a moratorium on additional permitting was put in place after the Transportation Committee’s endorsement. Dockless vehicle providers will also be asked to deploy vehicles in designated parking areas as the areas are implemented by CCDO. City staff will continue to monitor and analyze the program for the duration of the pilot, and additional amendments are likely to be proposed in April. These amendments may include mandatory deployment zones in sensitive areas; requiring vehicles to slow down or stop when entering a prohibited area, and preventing riders from ending a ride in these locations; establishing a maximum speed for vehicles; requiring the vendors to add a picture of properly parked vehicles before a rider may end their ride; and, enhanced data sharing requirements. Whether riding should be allowed on sidewalks will also be considered at the completion of the pilot. City staff will propose a new fee structure to cover costs resulting from scooter enforcement, education and outreach efforts, and infrastructure needs to support micromobility. Staff will continue to evaluate the appropriate number of operators and vehicles for our market, and at the conclusion of the pilot, staff may recommend a competitive process (such as an RFP), to select specific vendors for micromobility services.
A survey has been added to the SA SpeakUp page on the City’s website at https://www.saspeakup.com and is being widely distributed to users and residents to collect feedback on the pilot.
Additionally, staff is working with the vendors on collecting data to help understand usage such as if vehicles are underutilized and whether riders are residents or visitors.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The original dockless vehicle pilot program, adopted on October 11, 2018, implemented a fee structure to include a $500 application fee for each company and a $10 permit for each dockless vehicle.
This ordinance will increase the FY 2019 General Fund revenues budget by $154,500 to account for the revenues generated by the dockless vehicle program. Additionally, $154,500 will be appropriated in the Center City Development and Operation’s FY 2019 General Fund Budget increasing the budget to $18,903,149. Funds will be allocated to increasing temporary enforcement staff, educational outreach, and infrastructure, to include the creation of designated parking areas for dockless vehicles.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could determine that amendments are not needed at this time. The Council could also consider program amendments beyond the scope of what is proposed.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council adopt the recommended program adjustments and appropriate funding in the amount of $154,500 for enforcement, infrastructure, and outreach as it relates to the dockless vehicle program.