Data shows Atlanta had 2.1 million micromobility passengers in 2023

(TNS) — Five years after Atlanta’s first rental electric scooter boom, the city is working to strengthen relationships with suppliers, improve rider safety and expand equitable access.

The focus coincides with the latest data from the Atlanta Department of Transportation reporting more than 2.1 million shared “micro-mobility” trips in 2023 – the highest ridership levels for shared bikes and scooters since the pandemic, said Ashley Finch of ATLDOT.

Currently, Atlanta only approves permits for two companies – Lime and Bird – which must be renewed semi-annually. Council members passed an ordinance Monday extending the permits for another year before leaders move on to a new program.

Finch said the change is to make the vehicles a permanent program rather than a pilot program.

“We believe a longer-term relationship with our suppliers strengthens the supplier’s relationship and investment in the city,” Finch said.

Finch reported that users of shared bikes and scooters have already traveled nearly 1 million miles in 2024, and travel has increased 17% since the start of the year. Atlanta was ranked among the top 10 cities in micro-mobility ridership in 2022 and ranks fifth in overall ridership per capita. Busiest corridors include the East Beltline Trail, Midtown, the Georgia Tech campus and Centennial Olympic Park.

The city has promoted scooters and bikes as an alternative to driving, an effort that officials say helps reduce traffic congestion and close gaps between existing MARTA and bus infrastructure.

Atlanta’s recent success in bike and scooter rentals follows a long journey toward regulating the devices, which began when Bird’s dockless electric scooter took the city by storm in 2019.

The city launched a permit system through the Department of City Planning that year, allowing up to nine businesses and 12,700 scooters.

However, the new technology has led to backlash over sidewalk clutter, since users don’t need to leave the device on a docking station. Lime scooters then left Atlanta when the city began charging impoundment fees for scooters dumped on sidewalks and roadsides.

Concerns have also emerged that users are ignoring the rules of the road or riding on sidewalks rather than in the street. Following several e-scooter deaths, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms imposed a ban on night-time riding from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The ban remained in effect until 2023, when the city council extended evening opening hours until midnight. ATLDOT officials say about 13 percent of trips now occur between 9 p.m. and midnight.

Geolocation also allows the city to manage user routes using options such as reduced speed zones, no-traffic zones or no-parking zones. Finch said this technology can be implemented temporarily to maintain security during large-scale events such as the upcoming 2026 World Cup in Atlanta.

ATLDOT is working to further increase safety at intersections and has already introduced five “corral” parking options to minimize vehicle congestion. Cyclists can also request more bike parking via the “Ride n Rack” app.

“This program has continually evolved, as the industry has evolved, as technology has evolved, and we have made sure to continually improve our regulations, our procedures and our overall program,” said ATLDOT Deputy Commissioner , Betty Smoot-Madison. “And so we will continue to do so.

“We have come a long way since 2019, when thousands of scooters arrived on our public right-of-way, in what seemed like overnight.”

Under the new supplier system, companies will sign three-year contracts, with a two-year renewal option. The new model will also include an updated pricing structure, the specific costs of which have not yet been determined.

Current sellers pay $12,000 for an annual permit allowing up to 500 devices, with an additional annual fee of $50 per device. Companies are also allowed to increase the size of their fleet for a limited time.

ATLDOT’s latest plan would still provide only one or two vendors access to Atlanta’s streets. Finch said the decision stemmed from staff capacity and the complexity of managing multiple vendors in the past.

Councilor Bryon Amos, chair of the transportation committee, initially said he was concerned about the limit on suppliers and stressed the need to provide a wide variety of vehicles. While later acknowledging that two vendors could work, he suggested that future city budgets could reconsider ATLDOT’s funding to ensure the best products for citizens.

The permit system also requires each seller to place at least 2% of its daily fleet in each of three designated low-income zones. Finch said ATLDOT hopes to expand the equity program and increase accessibility by providing more parking and deployment areas throughout the city.

“There’s a culture, because you don’t see as many young Black people on bikes like you do in Midtown, that I think creates a challenge and a sticking point when trying to communicate with the community why this investment is so important,” said Councilman Jason Dozier, whose district encompasses one of the equity zones. “These kinds of efforts go a long way in changing the broader culture.”

Finch said the tender should be completed next year, before current permits expire.

ATLDOT also issued a request for information for the purchase of a bike share system in May.

Speakers during public comments at a committee meeting Tuesday appeared generally supportive of the ongoing transportation planning.

© 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.