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Falls Church staff recommend 12‑month shared‑mobility pilot with 100 devices, $5,000 permit fee
Summary
Staff proposed restarting a shared mobility pilot (scooters and e‑bikes) using lessons from 2019 and neighboring jurisdictions: 12‑month demo starting at 100 devices, $5,000 permit fee per operator, device decals, reporting requirements, and equity provisions. Council emphasized safety, geofenced no‑ride zones, school coordination and public outreach.
City transportation staff told council on Feb. 2 they recommend reviving the city's shared mobility demonstration (scooters and e‑bikes) with a 12‑month pilot that adapts lessons from the 2019 effort and neighboring jurisdictions.
"Shared mobility devices are really the ones that are...dockless," said transportation staffer Kurt Lawrence, explaining that scooters and e‑bikes can serve as a first‑ and last‑mile connection to transit and downtown destinations. Staff recommended a modest initial fleet (100 total devices) available to operators through permits, an upfront permit fee of $5,000 per company and decals on each device with operator contact information.
The proposal lists common operator requirements used regionally: unique device IDs, lights and brakes, speed governors, mandatory device maintenance and a local‑radius customer‑service requirement. Staff recommended a maximum street speed of 20 mph for motorized bicycles and 15 mph for motorized scooters on streets, with a 6 mph sidewalk speed recommendation and geofenced no‑ride/no‑park zones around sensitive locations.
Council members pressed staff on specifics: limiting e‑bikes to Class 1 models to avoid heavy, off‑road bikes; whether permit fees should be annual rather than one‑time during a pilot; how rebalancing would prevent overconcentration during events; and whether farmers markets and other event zones could be geofenced to prohibit riding or require users to dismount.
Staff emphasized enforcement and outreach: the police chief reviewed the report and provided input on enforcement language, and operators would be asked to commit to community outreach, helmet giveaways and rider education. Staff also recommended coordination with schools to address student use and pick appropriate parking/parking corral locations.
Next steps: staff will return with a refined resolution for council action (resolution planned for March 9 in materials), continue outreach to boards and commissions, and include additional public‑engagement steps during the pilot if approved.
