The pilot period for the city’s shared e-scooter program has ended. Staff have since evaluated the program by reviewing overall use, safety, sustainability, racial equity, demographics, mode shift, parking and community feedback.
Community input includes 1022 responses to a city questionnaire, 175 responses to a Lime questionnaire, Inquire Boulder reports, and phone calls and emails.
Riders traveled 117,700 miles in total. (That’s 42 times the length of the U.S.)
Nearly half (47%) of city questionnaire respondents would have taken a motor vehicle if an e-scooter wasn’t available
Riders saved approximately 26,058 pounds of greenhouse gas (about the amount of carbon that 13 acres of U.S. forests reduce in one year)
Here are five key community takeaways and how the city is responding with proposed next steps.
For people walking, biking, and using mobility aids like wheelchairs, fallen or improperly parked scooters make it difficult to get around Boulder.
Sharing the path is essential.
Transitioning the program from a “dockless” (no required parking zone) to a hybrid “docked” system
Developing criteria for possible designated parking zones city-wide
Geofencing to designate e-scooter parking in sensitive areas
Geofencing is a way to regulate where and at what speed shared e-scooters can travel and/or park.
About 43% of respondents to the city’s questionnaire prefer sidewalks for three reasons: the convenience of traveling both ways, bike lanes aren’t always available, and feeling unsafe because of vehicle speeds or traffic volumes.
Increase safety efforts toward building protected infrastructure
Allow shared e-scooters on some sidewalks, such as in areas with fewer pedestrians, until protected on-street options are complete
Respondents shared that e-scooters are a fun way to get to work, school and recreational activities. Respondents also expressed general frustration with the e-scooters pilot being restricted to East Boulder, east of 28th Street.
Respondents expressed general concerns about safe e-scooter use.
The city’s crash rate is .01%, with a total of 17 shared e-scooter crashes reported during the pilot program, including four moderate to severe crashes.
While this is low compared to other similarly sized cities, safety is a City of Boulder priority and zero is the goal.
Refine coordination with enforcement and health agencies for crash reporting and possible crash trends
Increase helmet use, and continue to provide free helmets to registered riders
Additional education and enforcement
Accessibility and racial equity will continue to be central program considerations.
Improve access to the program and remove barriers to affordability programs
Allow access to e-scooters for people working outside of operating hours (6 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
Explore subsidized memberships for people living and working in general improvement districts
Additional feedback
Other public input included aesthetic concerns, abandoned scooters, observed unsafe riding behaviors, and both a general like and dislike for the scooters.
Stay tuned for shared e-scooter updates in spring 2023.
Spring 2023 Staff will begin program formalization based on the findings from the evaluation and community, stakeholder, and elected official feedback.
Program formalization is when a program evolves from its early exploratory phase into a more established, standard program.
The Shared Micromobility Program Goal is to provide community members safe, equitable and sustainable forms of transportation to improve quality of life, provide connections to transit and key destinations, and reduce traffic congestion and transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Find the full 2021-2022 shared e-scooter pilot evaluation report, data and maps on Shared E-Scooters and E-Bikes.
Help inform changes to Boulder’s mobility network and public space during future input opportunities at Be Heard Boulder.
