To get to 2020: Seattle’s summer of the scooter, first we’ll have to get through its fall of community feedback. The Seattle Department of Transportation announced this week it will hold an October 30th public meeting on the planned pilot. You can also weigh in via an online survey:

In August, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) began a three-phased outreach and engagement process to help shape Seattle’s scooter share pilot program, which is planned to launch in 2020. Since then, SDOT has been engaging with groups which represent people with disabilities, diverse and low-income populations, other government agencies, as well as bike and pedestrian advocacy groups. The public will have another opportunity to weigh in at a public meeting on October 30 or by taking an online survey by November 15.

The public forum is slated to take place Wednesday, October 30 from 6 to 8 PM at Seattle City Hall in the Bertha Knight Landes room. “This meeting is an opportunity to learn about the upcoming scooter pilot and talk with representatives from the scooter industry,” SDOT says. “The forum will explore topics like safety, parking, accessibility, and national best practices. Attendees will also have the opportunity to view scooters.”

CHS previously reported SDOT’s start of a year-long rollout process that includes three phases of outreach, City Hall wrangling over rules and permitting, and, then, eventually rollout in mid-2020.

Before implementation, City Hall must address issues that have emerged with other scooter shares including rider safety and sidewalk safety issues. Advocates say there also should be concerns about how the companies behind the shares — many of them also in the car and bike share business — manage the mix of options available. Scooters, for example, are easier and cheaper for the companies to deploy but encourage shorter, higher cost per minute trips from customers.

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