Atlanta imposes scooter and e-bike ban at night

The mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, has directed the Department of City Planning to implement a daily citywide No Ride Zone from 9pm to 4am for electric scooters and e-bikes. No permitted device will be rentable during this time period.

It follows the death of a fourth person riding an e-scooter who was reportedly hit by a commercial gas truck.

Policy change

Last Monday, the mayor introduced legislation to codify into City Code her executive order repealing the Department of City Planning’s authorisation to issue new permits for sharable dockless mobility devices last week.

The Department of City Planning has informed electric scooter and e-bike companies operating in Atlanta of the change in policy and requested that they disable devices during the No Ride Zone.

“It is evident that immediate action is necessary to keep Atlanta’s residents and visitors safe,” said mayor Bottoms. “Sadly, we have seen a pattern in the recent and tragic fatalities involving scooters – they all occurred after sunset.

“Having a variety of mobility options is critical to any city, but safety must be our top priority. This night-time ban, while we continue to develop further long-term measures, will ensure the safest street conditions for scooter riders, motorists, cyclists, those in wheelchairs and pedestrians.”

“Having a variety of mobility options is critical to any city, but safety must be our top priority”

Simultaneously, there are additional measures the administration is swiftly pursuing to ensure road safety, including but not limited to:

• an accelerated plan for changes to the city’s streets creating safer, dedicated spaces for cyclists and scooter riders;
• a revised selection process that will allow the city to choose a limited number of dockless vendors and enable the city to work in partnership with the selected vendors to run a safer, more orderly dockless system. The expected selection process is anticipated to be completed by February 2020.

“As a major city, we believe there is potential in engineering the smart integration of this popular mode of transportation,” said Department of City Planning commissioner Tim Keane.

“The devices go a long way in providing last-mile connectivity and convenience to residents, students, businesses and visitors. But it is vital that we pause and assess how we move forward in a responsible way, with public safety always being the top priority.”

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