(a) City Council hereby authorizes the use of electronic scooters and/or shared mobility devices, as such terms are hereafter defined, on City streets, pursuant to the Electronic Scooter Program guidelines adopted herein.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section, Council establishes the following definitions.
(1) "Electronic scooter" or "e-scooter" means a two-wheeled device, rented or subscribed to from an electronic scooter device vendor, that has handlebars, a floor board designed to be stood upon when operating and is powered by electricity. Some devices of this type are equipped with a seat, but none has operable pedals. The electricity is stored on board in a rechargeable battery.
(2) "Electronic scooter device vendor" means an entity approved to use/occupy the right-of-way for offering electronic scooters or e-scooters to subscribers on a fee basis subscription for short-term rental in point-to-point trips.
(c) Each shared mobility device vendor shall be obligated to (i) provide the City Police Department with a contact person who can be reached during normal hours of operation as established hereunder; (ii) to cause any electronic scooter, e-scooter or shared mobility device to be returned to a designated rebalancing station within three hours of the termination of the use of such electronic scooter, e-scooter or shared mobility device (hereafter referred to, either collectively or individually, as an "electronic scooter"); and (iii) comply with all Electronic Scooter Program rules or guidelines established in this section.
(d) Electronic scooters operable within the City shall not exceed a speed limit of 15 miles per hour.
(e) No person who is under the age of 16 shall operate an electronic scooter within the City. No parent of any child or guardian of any ward shall authorize or knowingly permit any such child or ward to violate the age restrictions established in this section.
(f) A person exerting control of or operating an electronic scooter shall be permitted to stand or park it on a sidewalk, without charge or restriction, provided that the electronic scooter does not impede the normal flow of pedestrian traffic or otherwise prevent use of the sidewalk, including, but not limited to, use of the sidewalk by any person utilizing a wheelchair or assistive motorized device. Under no circumstances shall any person exerting control over or operating an electronic scooter park or leave such electronic scooter on private property.
(g) Any electronic scooter shall be considered a motor vehicle as defined in Section 402.22 and, accordingly, shall be subject to the ordinances set forth in the Chapter 432 relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.
(h) No operator of an electronic scooter shall do any of the following: (i) allow passengers while the electronic scooter is in operation or motion; or (ii) structurally alter the electronic scooter from the original manufacturer's design.
(i) In addition to any regulations set forth in Chapter 432, the following rules shall apply to the operation of any electronic scooter within the City:
(1) Electronic scooters shall not be operated on any sidewalk.
(2) Every person operating an electronic scooter shall obey the instructions of official traffic control devices and signals applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
(3) No person operating an electronic scooter shall carry any package, bundle, article or additional passenger that prevents the operator from safely operating the electronic scooter.
(4) Every person operating an electronic scooter upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable obeying all traffic rules applicable to motor vehicles and exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.
(5) Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right, left or "U" turn is permitted, no person operating an electronic scooter shall disobey the direction of any such sign, except when such person dismounts from the electronic scooter, in which event such person shall then obey the regulations applicable to pedestrians.
(j) In the event that any of the terms or provisions of this section conflict with the terms and provisions set forth in Chapter 432, the terms and provisions of this section shall be controlling.
(Ord. 2021-38. Passed 10-4-2021; Ord. 2021-46. Passed 12-6-2021; Ord. 2023-35. Passed 6-20- 2023.)