San Antonio City Council adopts e-scooter regs

Electric Bird scooters are lined up along Soledad Street in downtown San Antonio on July 1, 2018. Riders can rent any one and return it whenever they please. Electric Bird scooters are lined up along Soledad Street in downtown San Antonio on July 1, 2018. Riders can rent any one and return it whenever they please. Photo: Josie Norris /Staff Photographer Photo: Josie Norris /Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close San Antonio City Council adopts e-scooter regs 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

In a little more than a week, San Antonio will have official laws in place regulating the companies that have dropped hundreds of dockless, electric scooters on the city’s streets — and the people who ride them.

The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a six-month pilot program regulating the electric vehicles. Among the rules are that riders may use sidewalks or roads, but cannot operate the e-scooters on roadways where the speed limit is over 35 mph.

Scooter companies must employ a local fleet manager, pay a $500 vendor fee and $10 per scooter in operation here. Currently, there are three firms in business, including one local startup: Bird, Lime and Blue Duck, the local firm. They account for about 3,000 scooters in San Antonio.

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John Jacks, director of San Antonio’s Center City Development & Operations Department, said several other companies have expressed interested in operating here. Additionally, he and others expect that more innovative transportation solutions are headed to San Antonio, including dockless bikes.

E-scooters generally cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute to ride. Users activate them through an app on their smartphones.

The ordinance takes effect Oct. 19, and the companies will have 30 days to be permitted for operations here.

This is a developing story. Check back on ExpressNews.com for updates.

Josh Baugh is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbaugh@express-news.net | Twitter: @jbaugh