Denver law would legalize Scooter Riders In The Streets
Statement from DPW regarding scooter rules
Statement from DPW regarding scooter rules
Hi RNOs,
Today we are providing you with an update on Denver’s Dockless Mobility Pilot Permit Program.
On Tuesday, December 11, Denver Public Works will attend Denver City Council’s Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to discuss proposed changes to the current scooter rules that were crafted in partnership with District 5 Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman and District 6 Councilman Paul Kashmann.
Local and state law currently classify electric scooters as “toy vehicles” and requires them to operate on the sidewalk. Under the proposed bill, dockless scooters will be classified as “Electric Mobility Scooters” (EMS) subject to the following rules:
- EMS must operate in a bike lane, if one is available, not exceeding the speed limit of 15mph.
- If a bike lane isn’t an option, EMS will be allowed to ride on the roadway, if the maximum speed limit of the roadway does not exceed 30mph. When riding on the roadway, EMS must stay to the right of the road.
- If a bike lane isn’t available, and the roadway has a speed limit greater than 30mph, then the EMS may operate on the sidewalk.
- When riding on the sidewalk, EMS may not exceed a speed of 6mph and must yield to pedestrians at all times.
The committee will debate the proposed bill next week. It will then head to a vote before the full council.
Sincerely,
DPW Public Information Office
Denver law would legalize what scooter riders are doing away — riding in the streets
From the Denverite Dec 5 2018 David Sachs author
The Denver City Council will discuss a bill next Tuesday that would let people on electric scooters ride in city streets and bike lanes.
It’s a policy to catch up with the popularity of free-roaming scooter-share services Lime, Bird and Razor. The companies changed Denver’s transportation landscape overnight, and residents and tourists were quick to adopt and normalize the zippy new option.
The city government was unprepared for the influx in several ways, one of them being that scooters are illegal on Denver’s streets. They’re literally toys, not legitimate transportation options, under the law, and therefore relegated to the sidewalks. But they’re dangerously fast and don’t belong on the same plane as pedestrians, safe streets advocates argued.
Denver Public Works has partnered with Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman and City Councilman Paul Kashmann to hammer out new rules, DPW spokeswoman Heather Burke said in a statement. Here are the basics:
Scooter riders must operate in a bike lane…
But not any faster than 15 mph.
Unless there’s no bike lane…
In that case, you could scoot in the street, on the right side — but only if the speed limit is 30 mph or lower.
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