CLEVELAND — CLEVELAND – Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee unanimously approved legislation to get e-scooters back on the sidewalks. Now the legislation moves to the next step.
The set of rules finally lays out the ground rules for electric scooter vendors and riders alike.
First off, there will be a permit process that vendors must complete before operating in the city. A company would have to have a plan for maintaining a fleet which could be limited by the city. City officials would also have the ability to identify approved locations where scooters are dropped off every day at 7 a.m. Scooters are then shut off and picked up at 7 p.m. each night.
The city would also collect a fee on each ride – a practice similar to other major cities that have allowed scooters to be deployed. This money would go to a special “Shared Mobility Fund” to support infrastructure to support other modes of transportation – increasing the number of bike lanes as an example.
As for rides, the laws surrounding e-scooters are similar to bicycles, in most cases. For safety, you should have a helmet and must stay off sidewalks in business districts. Council also made an amendment to limit the speed to 12 mph, down from 15 mph in the original proposal.
See full ordinance proposal below (prior to amendments):
The legislation now heads to full committee for a vote before final approval at the next council meeting. Based on today’s vote, it appears there isn’t much that will keep it from passing. It’s quite possible e-scooters could be back on the sidewalks for rental as soon as the end of June.