Eugene City Council Approved Steps to Implement E-Scooter Pilot Program

On February 26, 2020, the Eugene City Council provided direction to move forward with an E-Scooter Pilot Program, pending code updates. A formal public hearing on two new ordinances - one to licence shared mobility businesses, and one to allow micro-mobility devices to operate on the city's shared-use paths - was held on June 15, 2020. During the public hearing members of the community were invited to comment on the ordinances. It is important to note that Oregon state law prohibits electric scooters from operating at speeds above 15mph.

On July 13, 2020, City Council voted to adopt the ordinances. City of Eugene Transportation Planning staff are now advancing the pilot program by drafting Administrative Rules and a Request for Proposals that will invite e-scooter companies to apply to operate in Eugene. The trial pilot program could roll out in either 2020 or 2021.

During the trial City of Eugene Transportation staff are committed to selecting e-scooter companies who will prioritize a safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable program. There will also be the continued opportunity for community feedback throughout the trial.

Earlier this year we heard from participants in the e-scooter online survey and we are using that feedback to help identify the best practices for the Eugene pilot program. You can read more about the survey and community responses below.





Evaluation Criteria Public Outreach Summary Report

To get a better understanding of the public’s perspective on e-scooters, we conducted an e-scooter evaluation criteria survey. Feedback received from the survey and public outreach is being used to inform scooter company selection criteria.

Thank you to the over 540 people who participated in the survey. The summary report is AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE.

What is Happening?

The City of Eugene is considering launching an E-Scooter Pilot Program. There are several things that need to happen first before the program could potentially launch. This includes possibly making changes to city code, establishing criteria for selecting e-scooter companies, and creating regulations to govern how and where e-scooters may operate. If the program launches, it is predicted to begin in Summer 2020.

Throughout the process we'd like to know what you think about e-scooters and how they may potentially operate in Eugene. Your feedback will be used to help inform how we review e-scooter operators' permit applications and ultimately which company(ies) we may select to operate in Eugene. Additionally, it will be used to establish rules and regulations for where and how scooters operate within Eugene’s city limits.





Why is this Happening?

The City of Eugene has multiple policies in place that support the creation of a shared e-scooter program. Eugene’s Climate Recovery Ordinance states that by 2030 community fossil fuel use should fall to 50% of 2010 levels. Additionally, both the city’s 20-year long range land use (Envision Eugene) and transportation plans (Eugene 2035 Transportation System Plan) state that the number of trips made by transit, bicycling, or walking should be tripled.

It should be noted that when these plans were created, e-scooters did not yet exist. The intention of increasing the number of transit, bicycling, and walking trips, however, is to reduce the number of trips made by gasoline (fossil fuel) consuming, single-occupancy vehicles. E-scooters present an additional opportunity for the city to provide a method of moving people in a fun and accessible way that does not require the use of personal vehicles. In short, e-scooters could help reduce vehicle use, which in turn would reduce fossil fuel use, which in turn would help to achieve the Climate Recovery Ordinance goals.





Micro-mobility – What is It and Why Should I Care?

At its core “micro-mobility” means just what its name says ­­– mobility options that are small. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), defines it as “small, fully or partially human-powered vehicles such as bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters.”

This definition offers a lot of lee-way for interpretation. As such, the City of Eugene has created its own definition for “micro-mobility” in order to write new city code that will allow e-scooter use within city boundaries. The definition is flexible enough to cover the next new “micro” transportation technology that arises, so long as it lightweight and human or electric-powered.

Shared micromobility device. A lightweight vehicle that: (a) Is no more than 3 feet wide; (b) Can be propelled by electric propulsion, human propulsion, or both; (c) If being propelled by electricity, is capable of traveling at no more than 20 miles per hour; and (d) Is made available for rent or public shared use in the public right-of-way.





Quick Scooter Facts

Bird was the first e-scooter company to launch, in September 2017.

Santa Monica, CA was the first city in which a shared-use fleet of e-scooters operated.

As of June 2020, in the USA, there are 15 e-scooter companies operating in 97 cities across 22 states.

Portland is currently the only Oregon city with a shared-use e-scooter fleet.

Map of E-Scooter Operations as of June 2020

Source: SmartCitiesDive