UPDATE:
DAVIS, Calif. -- The Davis City Council has voted unanimously to adopt an urgency ordinance prohibiting motorized scooter-share programs until it can decide on safety measures regarding parking and rider safety.
In an interview last week, Mayor Brett Lee told ABC10 that he hopes e-scooters eventually do come to the city, he first wants to make sure there is a clear set of rules in place first.
"We want to make sure that when they're done renting the scooters that they’re not left all over the place," he said. "And figuring out what safe ridership looks like."
There is no set time frame for when the city will take up discussing possible scooter safety measures.
Original:
DAVIS, Calif. -- Electric for-rent scooters are popping up in cities across the country (sometimes without any warning). But don't expect them anytime soon in Davis.
The city plans to adopt an "urgency ordinance" next week to prohibit e-scooter programs from coming to town. But why the urgency?
Let's just say, other cities that have adopted the new trend -- which allows people to rent scooters and then drop them off anywhere around town -- have faced backlash from locals who say the scooters end up in the most obnoxious of places. (There's even an Instagram devoted to destroying rideshare scooters.)
"Sometimes people will just leave them in the middle of the sidewalk," Davis Mayor Brett Lee said, "Or sometimes in a front lawn."
Lee said he eventually does hope e-scooters come to Davis, which he says has had success with the JUMP bike rideshare program, but first wants to make sure there's a clear set of rules.
"We want to make sure that when they're done renting the scooters that they’re not left all over the place," he said, "And figuring out what safe ridership looks like."
The city also wants to make sure there is a clear person people can call if they find an improperly placed scooter. They say this is currently an issue they're facing with JUMP bikes.
"The city staff are having to field calls of the improper placement of bike share bikes," Lee explained, "So we're thinking with the scooter share we need to have some greater outreach...so people know to call the scooter share people directly."
Once all that gets worked out, the next question in a bike town like Davis: Will they even be welcomed?
As one UC Davis grad student told ABC10: "Bikes are the staple of Davis. Scooters aren't."
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