Veo reports 62% ridership surge, reintroduces forced parking after spike in improper parking

Veo representatives briefed the City of College Park on the status of the city’s micromobility pilot, reporting a 62% year‑over‑year ridership increase and outlining steps to reduce improper parking and safety risks.

Alex Bozorgsky (policy & partnerships) and Jeff Hoover (head of government partnerships) said the company operates both stand‑up scooters and e‑bikes and emphasized access programs for low‑income riders, AARP members and active‑duty military. Veo said a market survey included more than 600 College Park responses and that roughly 50% of local riders report household incomes under $50,000 and nearly one‑third rely on transit.

After an increase in complaints and tickets this fall, Veo re‑implemented a forced‑parking (geofenced) end‑of‑ride policy on Oct. 24, which prevents riders from ending trips outside designated parking areas; the company reported a sharp drop in staff tickets and university‑reported violations after the change. Veo also described an AI-driven virtual parking coach, an incentive program that enters compliant parkers into weekly credit drawings, and an ascending fines regime for violations. When a rider fails to end a trip correctly, Veo said an auto timeout continues the meter for about 20 minutes and that repeat offenders can face fines and suspension; the company agreed to follow up with the council on suspension counts for the past year.

Councilmembers asked about hubs and charging infrastructure, reporting a desire for more hubs in high‑use neighborhoods; Veo said it welcomes additional hubs and uses swappable batteries for field charging but that community safety and fire‑safe charging are managed at offsite warehouses. Veo described helmet giveaways (150 helmets distributed on Oct. 27 with the university) and said an opt‑in AI helmet‑detection discount pilot is expected to deploy early next year.

Council and the mayor referenced a recent fatal crash on Route 1 and urged greater helmet uptake and more aggressive enforcement where vehicles block sidewalks or create ADA hazards. Veo said it has technology to detect tipped vehicles (gyroscope alerts) and prioritizes tipped vehicles and explicit ADA obstruction reports for rapid pickup. The company also agreed to work with city staff on additional hubs, to provide reporting graphics for residents to use and to continue monthly coordination calls with the university and city.

Next steps: Veo will provide follow‑up data (suspensions, ticket trends), work with city staff on hub placement (some hubs scheduled for January) and continue monthly multi‑party calls to monitor operations and enforcement outcomes.