City staff spent more than six months developing new rules before relaunching the program. They identified a few key concerns, reviewed best practices and developed solutions.
“Some of the key issues that were identified to be addressed before the program could be relaunched included too many vehicles and operators to effectively manage, a lack of an efficient permitting and fee collective process, late night riding that was leading to illegal activity,” said Kathryn Rush, Department of Transportation Chief Planner during a presentation earlier this week.
Other concerns:
- Lack of no ride/slow ride zones
- Improperly parked vehicles
- Illegal behavior from operators
New rules state residents can only use vehicles between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. The City of Dallas will also establish “no-ride and slow-ride zones” that either prohibit vehicles in certain areas of town or limit them to 10 mph.
After residents are done riding a scooter or bike, they will have to take a photo to prove it was parked properly at a dock station. Residents who don’t follow the rules will face a $20 fine and can be prohibited from using the scooters after repeated violations.
The new rules were adopted earlier this week, but the Department of Transportation will accept public comment until July 31. Residents can send an email ddotplanning@dallascityhall.com.
City officials also say when the program is in full swing, they will promote the new program and rules through a community outreach campaign.
Yaamini Jois is an intern at KERA through the UNT/ Scripps Howard Foundation high school internship program. You can follow Yaamini on Twitter @yjois12.
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