Micromobility

Streets’ many users, their large amount of potential data and the complexity of standing up digital curb systems can pose challenges. A digital map or street inventory can be a first step for local government.

The first violation fine for unsafe usage of an electric bicycle is part of an update to the city’s bicycle ordinance. It provides, generally, clearer standards for riders and follows an educational campaign.

City Council members are mulling policy for the devices that lines up with neighboring local governments and state law, too. The goal, the police chief said, is to ensure their safe, responsible use.

California electric utilities plan to launch a program to help pay for electric vehicle charging, for income-qualified households that do not have charging at home. Other initiatives are already underway.

With the popularity of electric bicycles and scooters on the rise, here’s what state and local laws say about their use in Fort Worth, Colleyville, Texas Christian University and elsewhere.

A bill submitted by state Rep. Katie Stuart would amend the state vehicle code to limit speeds on bike paths and trails. Currently, the closest equivalent is a 15 mile per hour speed limit in alleys.

INRIX’s latest Global Traffic Scorecard finds U.S. traffic at a historic level so far this year. Autonomous vehicles and shared mobility could, however, be a counterbalance against private car use.

Naperville is joining other Chicago suburbs in cracking down on e-bikes and e-scooters, with the city council considering setting an age limit at 16 and a maximum speed limit of 15 mph on multiuse paths.

City officials sought to clarify where the devices and others can and cannot be used. A city official said in September there had been a “rise in complaints from residents” about electric bikes on sidewalks.

Communities in the Denver suburbs are part of a pilot that uses highly accurate geo-fencing technology to track electric scooters and prompt users to deposit them in the correct parking locations.

In the face of an increasing number and severity of e-bike accidents this summer, the Virginia Beach City Council wants a task force to devise enforcement methods to keep riders and pedestrians safe.

Greenwich school leaders are notifying families, particularly of middle school students, that a new law went into effect in Connecticut this week requiring an operator's license to ride e-bikes and e-scooters.

The City Council gave first reading to an ordinance that would ban electric scooters on sidewalks and roads with speed limits over 30 miles per hour. The devices would also be limited to speeds of 20 miles per hour.

City police will step up enforcement in coming months to stem a “marked increase” in accidents involving electric bicycles, scooters and similar vehicles. Offenders will be given warnings or moving violations.

Officials have deployed urban service robots to inspect sidewalk accessibility, in order to take an informed approach to improvements; the project is part of the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act self-evaluation.

The company joins a handful of other government technology suppliers that are publicly traded. Via, which was founded in 2012, could now be on the hunt for acquisitions, according to its CEO.

As calls for service involving electric bikes and scooters rise, municipalities are tightening up regulations on the devices. Leawood and Prairie Village are among the latest to establish age and operational requirements.

The company committed to fishing the electric scooters out of local waterways within 24 hours. It also fines people who park them across sidewalks — though prohibited downtown sidewalk riding continues.