Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
E‑scooter pilot had low utilization; Bird withdrew and council will keep pilot framework in place for future regulation
Summary
Town transportation staff reported average deployment of about 14 scooters (peak ~30) under Vienna’s shared mobility device pilot; Bird has withdrawn and geofenced the town. Council discussed retaining the pilot (an administrative action) to regulate future vendors rather than adopting a permanent ordinance now.
Daniel Jinx, the town’s transportation engineer, briefed the council on the shared‑mobility device (SMD) pilot program and asked whether the council wished to continue the pilot or pursue a permanent ordinance.
Jinx said the pilot had allowed a maximum fleet size but actual usage averaged roughly 14 scooters in town, peaking near 30 during warm months; most use occurred in the downtown commercial area. The vendor Bird responded to council requests by collecting and re‑deploying scooters when staff reported problems and later geofenced Vienna and stopped operating in town.
Councilmembers said the pilot framework serves as a reasonable stopgap to regulate for‑hire SMDs under state law (2019 legislation allows local regulation but not an outright ban). Several members argued that Vienna’s demographics and land use—low student population and limited high‑density ridership corridors—make it unlikely to be a high‑volume SMD market, so retaining the pilot (an administrative action) is appropriate and an ordinance can be adopted later if market conditions warrant.
No formal regulatory change was adopted at the meeting; staff said the pilot may remain as the administrative mechanism to govern vendor behavior and collect data should other operators seek to deploy devices in Vienna.
