'Let's try scooters': Mayor Jenny Durkan says Seattle is ready in GeekWire post

A rider aboard a Lime scooter cruises down Folsom St. as seen on Mon. April 9, 2018, in San Francisco, Calif. E-scooters could be coming soon to Seattle. A rider aboard a Lime scooter cruises down Folsom St. as seen on Mon. April 9, 2018, in San Francisco, Calif. E-scooters could be coming soon to Seattle. Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close 'Let's try scooters': Mayor Jenny Durkan says Seattle is ready in GeekWire post 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

This story has been updated with statements from e-scooter companies.

Your future commute or tour around Seattle could include an e-scooter.

Mayor Jenny Durkan in a guest post on GeekWire published Wednesday afternoon said the city is open to allowing scooters in the future -- though there is a bit of a catch.

"...let's do it right by promoting safety, requiring fairness for riders and indemnification for the city, focusing on equity, and by building on – not losing – the best of bike share," Durkan wrote.

Durkan emphasizes that adding a scooter share will expand car-less options for commuting. She sees it as an addition to bike shares, not a replacement.

"Free-floating bike share is an important and needed tool in our mobility toolbox," Durkan wrote. "Seattle is unique in having one of the only successful free-floating bike share systems in our country."

Seattle has over 7,000 free-floating bike share bicycles scattered throughout the city. By the end of the year, Durkan expects that number to rise to 10,000 bikes.

RELATED: Report: Seattle's bike share is booming, but it's out of the loop

Since the introduction of electric-assisted bikes in 2018, e-bikes accounted for more than double the number of manual bike trips in 2018, a recent national report by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) shows.

But that report goes on to say that the e-scooter was king in pretty much every major city other than Seattle, with 85,000 available across 100 cities. E-scooters accounted for 38.5 million of the shared mobility trips in 2018.

Safety was still a prime concern for Durkan, who has expressed such concerns in the past. In her GeekWire post, she points to several recent studies that indicate an increase in e-scooter injuries, and that head injuries are especially common.

RELATED: As more Pacific Northwest cities embrace scooter-sharing, Seattle keeps foot on the brake

In an emailed statement, Lime, a company that offers e-scooters, said it "welcomes working groups on the topics the mayor discussed," and that a scooter pilot program is "great news for residents and visitors eager for a greener, more equitable, more affordable way to get around the Emerald City."

Lyft said it is looking forward to reviewing the scooter pilot program. "Like the Mayor, we want to see more sustainable, equitable, and affordable transportation options for all Seattleites," a Lyft spokesperson said in an email.

Bird emailed that their company is "thrilled" Durkan has signaled she is ready to bring e-scooters to Seattle.

"The reality is cities around the world are enjoying the benefits of having shared e-scooters — a transportation solution that effectively reduces short car trips and carbon emissions, and improves the livability of communities," Paul White, director of safety policy and advocacy for Bird, said in a statement. "Bird hopes to bring our unparalleled experience and safety standards to the Seattle community so we can help the city advance its climate and traffic reduction goals."

RELATED: 'Bird' scooters zip through Tacoma thanks to new trial program

Several steps need to be taken before scooters can zoom up Seattle's streets. A pilot program won't be allowed to launch until a scooter share permit is passed by the Seattle City Council, which is expected to take months. Rules for when the scooters can be used, where they can be parked, speed, fines and enforcement all need to be established for the pilot program.

"We can get this right. We will focus on four non-negotiable principles: safety, fairness to riders, protection of taxpayers through full indemnification, and equity," Durkan wrote. "While some companies may see these requirements as too restrictive, they are too important not to fight for."

Producer Natalie Guevara can be contacted at natalie.guevara@seattlepi.com. Follow her on Twitter. Find more from Natalie on her author page.