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Flagstaff staff review plan for micromobility scooter and e‑bike sharing, emphasize equity and parking controls
Summary
City sustainability staff presented research on dockless scooters and e‑bikes, described benefits and risks, and said council will decide this fall whether to allow commercial operators under a permit or an RFP; commissioners stressed equity, helmet access and limiting clutter.
City sustainability staff presented findings and solicited feedback on bringing commercial micromobility sharing — electric scooters and e‑bikes — back to Flagstaff, saying the city can permit operators but lacks a formal procurement or permit process.
The presentation, led by Jamie Larson, housing and transportation VISTA, and Jenny Nieman, climate action section director, summarized peer‑city experience, environmental and first/last‑mile benefits, and operational risks. “Micro mobility is already here. We’re just discussing whether we want operators and businesses to come to Flagstaff,” Larson said, describing a 2018 pilot and a 2020 contract with Gotcha Mobility that ended because of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Staff pointed to local planning documents that support micromobility as a strategy to reduce vehicle miles traveled and emissions, including Flagstaff’s regional and active‑transportation plans and the city’s carbon‑neutrality goals. The consultants’ research showed peer cities with populations similar to Flagstaff typically operate roughly 200–300 shared scooters at a time; the 2018 Flagstaff pilot logged about 9,500 trips and an estimated 2,600 pounds of carbon savings, staff said.
The presenters outlined two system models: city‑run programs and third‑party operators, with third‑party (vendor‑run) models the more common approach today. Staff recommended either creating a permit process for private operators or running a single‑vendor RFP if council directs the city to move forward. Staff said most program costs can be borne by vendors and that the city’s role would be contract enforcement, permitting and oversight.
Commissioners and members of the public raised recurring concerns about equitable access, helmet availability, device parking and sidewalk safety. “We want to be mindful of the marginalized communities,” Commissioner Martinez said, noting some residents lack IDs or credit cards and may rely on bus service for daily travel. Commissioners asked staff to require cash‑payment options, subsidized fares tied to bus passes and other equity measures in a procurement process.
Staff explained technical parking tools vendors use, such as geofencing to require vehicles be parked in designated areas downtown and at NAU. They also noted staffing needs for contract oversight vary by city — Fort Collins assigns roughly 25% of a staff position to the program; Santa Monica dedicates a larger share.
Several commissioners recommended beginning with a single operator through an RFP to avoid the clutter and enforcement difficulties that can arise when multiple companies operate simultaneously. Others urged early coordination with transportation and public‑works projects so infrastructure investments (bike lanes, parking corrals) align with micromobility planning.
Staff said they are in an engagement phase, will open a public survey on the city’s Connect Flagstaff platform (planned to launch at Earth Day) and expect to return to City Council in the fall with a recommendation based on public input and vendor proposals. No vote was taken by the Commission on Diversity Awareness; staff said the item was for discussion and that council will make the final decision.
