Bothell staff outline micro‑mobility strategy; council urged residents to take public survey
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Summary
Transportation staff briefed Bothell City Council on draft micro‑mobility strategies—including bikes, e‑bikes, scooters and skateboards—urging council and residents to take an online survey and noting staff will return with a draft strategy, planning‑commission review and future council sessions.
City staff presented a high‑level briefing on Jan. 14 on Bothell’s draft micro‑mobility strategies, intended to guide regulation and implementation of devices such as bikes, e‑bikes, scooters, electric skateboards and roller skates.
Sherman Gong, the city’s transportation planner, said staff aim to identify actions to make micro‑mobility a viable, equitable first‑mile/last‑mile option and to develop rules for safe and consistent device operation across jurisdictions. He noted Bothell piloted shared bikes in 2017 and e‑scooters in 2019 and that a new citywide survey is available at the Engage Bothell site (bothellwa.gov/micromobility) to inform scoping questions and device mixes.
Why it matters: The strategy could shape how vendors operate in Bothell, whether certain device types are favored, and how the city addresses safety, enforcement, equity and infrastructure. Council members stressed coordination with neighboring cities and asked staff to return with data on demand drivers, deployment control and interjurisdictional continuity.
What was said: Gong said staff will follow up with planning‑commission review in the spring and council study sessions in summer 2025. Council members asked whether vendors choose which devices to deploy and how to align with adjacent jurisdictions so riders can use devices across city borders; staff said the city can steer device types by policy and vendor contracts but has limited control over privately owned devices beyond regulation.
Next steps: Staff will collect survey results, meet with stakeholders and bring draft strategies back to the planning commission and council for further review.