City Proposes Rules for Electric Scooter and Bicycle Companies | Metro and region

Oklahoma City already has two "wharfless" scooter rental companies, Lime Scooters and Bird Rides Inc., and the fast and fun transportation option is gaining popularity in the country.

Nick Doctor, responsible for economic development and city policies, wants Tulsa to be ready for the new technology. On Wednesday, he presented councilors with the proposed amendments to the ordinances that set out the rules of the road for users of bicycles, electric bicycles and electric scooters, as well as the licensing and operating rules applicable to vendors who could one day want to do business in Tulsa.

"We have seen many cities, in many other communities where scooters and (other emerging technologies) are entering a city, and the city is not prepared," said the doctor. to counselors. "This has raised a lot of concerns about how these businesses should work, the interactions that residents should have with them and the needs of cities."

In recent months, the city has consulted electric scooter and electric bike companies, including Lime and Bird, as well as transportation experts to present the policies set out in the order presented to councilors on Wednesday.

In short, the city plans to treat these vehicles as bicycles. In fact, the ordinance creates a specific classification of vehicles – called small vehicles – which includes bicycles, electric bicycles and electric scooters.

For example, electric scooter sharing companies such as Lime and Bird would be subject to the same rules as the city's new self-service bike program, This Machine. And the users of these services will all have to follow the same rules.

The doctor said the city had adopted small vehicle transportation as a way to bridge the gap between the city's bus system and the customers' final destinations.

"Scooters can play a key role in this project," the doctor told Tulsa World on Thursday.

Another key goal of the city's proposed small vehicle order, the doctor added, is to ensure that small vehicle companies provide fair service to those Tulsans who need it most.

For example, the proposed order states that operators of more than 150 vehicles must "rebalance" their vehicles once a day to ensure that at least 20% of them are found in underserved areas of the city.

Bird and Lime did not respond to requests for interviews made by the Tulsa World on Thursday.

Councilor Blake Ewing said Thursday that he was expecting a lot of business to start doing business here.

"There is no doubt that they will be here," Ewing said. "They would be crazy not to do it."

Ewing and Doctor underline the city's desire to expand the Tulsans' transport possibilities.

"I think they're a good thing," Ewing said. "And I think they'll change the way the Tulsans move around town."

The council is expected to vote on the proposed order later this month.