Columbus adopts service-level reviews and vendor fines as shared-scooter program matures

City of Columbus Department of Public Service staff said the city has completed a 90‑day review of two contracted shared‑mobility vendors and is enforcing service‑level agreements that include an hourly response standard for devices blocking ADA routes and monetary penalties for vendor failures.

Brian Ashworth of the Department of Public Service said the city holds contracts with two private vendors (identified in the presentation as Spin and Vido) and has adopted a set of 28 service‑level agreements (SLAs) to measure vendor performance. “The agreement is that, basically, if a 311 is submitted, they have an hour to respond and pick up a device if it's obstructing ADA,” Ashworth said.

The presentation showed the city uses a pass/fail “report card” to track compliance. Staff reported that audits found roughly 95% of devices upright, above a 90% upright threshold in the SLAs, but the median vendor response time to 311 reports has been about 90 minutes, leaving “room for improvement,” Ashworth said. Vendors now receive 311 reports directly, rather than routing through the city first, which staff said speeds field responses.

Commissioners and residents pressed staff on how the 311 system notifies complainants. Pedro, a 311 representative, said the call center accepts live calls Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m., but accepts service requests through the city mobile app 24 hours a day and by email at 311@columbus.gov. Pedro said the vendors have started sending “closed” photos when they resolve tickets, but that the process is “manual” and “a work in progress.”

Staff said enforcement will focus on both user behavior and vendor accountability. A staff member who works with the mobility program said the city is issuing fines to vendors — named in the meeting as VO and SPIN — when they fail SLAs. “We are issuing fines to the vendors themselves, so we're holding the vendors themselves accountable,” the staff member said.

To reduce sidewalk obstruction, staff described a corridor parking‑management pilot in the Short North that will add scooter corrals in legal non‑vehicular spaces. The presentation said the city currently has about 20 corrals and plans to double that number as part of the Short North project, with completion expected by this fall.

Staff also described ongoing work to integrate image‑analysis tools so end‑ride photos can be flagged automatically if a device blocks a ramp or other ADA facility; the vendors and city staff described that as an operational improvement still under development.

Resident and commission questions focused on practical use: what to report to 311 without photos, whether users must submit an end‑ride photo, and how vendors can identify and fine the rider who left a device improperly. Ashworth and staff said photos are helpful but not required and that vendors can, in many cases, identify the last rider from trip records. They said AI and automated photo reviews are expected to reduce the manual work required to enforce user fines and track repeat offenders.

The city identified three strike‑type priorities for SLAs: ADA obstruction response; travel‑lane/bike‑lane/parking infractions; and device tip‑over rates. Staff said the 90‑day review sets priorities for the next 90 days leading into a six‑month review.

Ending: Staff said they will return with follow‑ups on vendor enforcement metrics, improved resident notifications for closed 311 tickets and further details on the Short North corral expansion and AI flagging work.