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Staff recommends 18+ minimum, geofencing and 12‑month pilot for Falls Church scooter program
Summary
Falls Church staff proposed a 12‑month micro‑mobility pilot that would start at roughly 100 scooters with geofenced no‑ride and no‑park zones; staff recommended raising the operator‑eligible minimum age to 18, and pledged to consult schools and Nova Parks on specific exclusion zones before a March 9 council resolution.
City staff presented a revised micro‑mobility pilot and asked council to schedule adoption of a pilot resolution for March 9.
Kurt Lawrence, the staff lead on the item, told council he recommends changing the proposed minimum rider age from 16 to 18 because operators commonly require users to be 18 to enter into accounts. "I'd like to change the, the minimum age of the program from 16 to 18 in this proposal," Kurt Lawrence said, adding operators typically verify age with a driver's license or other ID and that requiring 16 would be "pointless" if companies will not permit under‑18 accounts.
Staff also proposed a pilot scale in the 100‑scooter range (roughly 8 scooters per 1,000 people, using neighboring jurisdictions as comparators) with options to expand to 150 if demand and operations justify it. The staff report explicitly allows the city to establish geofenced "no‑ride," "no‑park" and "slow ride" zones; staff said geofencing would be used to protect high‑use pedestrian areas and school campuses and that staff will meet with school officials to pursue a nuanced zoning plan rather than a blanket ban.
CAC and CACT members and several councilors raised safety and aesthetics concerns — particularly about scooters being left on sidewalks, sidewalk riding at high speeds along Bridal and Washington Street, and use on the W&OD trail. A CACT member said the pilot offers an opportunity to gather data and determine whether concerns materialize during a 12‑month trial. Staff said they will work with Nova Parks to confirm trail parking rules and can designate trail segments as no‑park if required.
The pilot is structured as a lean, enforceable agreement with operators that includes mechanisms for complaints and user accountability (staff noted that complaints with timestamps can be tied to user accounts). The CACT and planning commissioners generally endorsed a pilot approach as a way to learn operational impacts.
The council did not adopt the pilot at the work session but scheduled discussion and a resolution for the March 9 council meeting. Staff said they will add school geofencing options and further detail to the packet for that meeting.
