Longmont City Council, Tuesday night, quickly put a roadblock over allowing electric scooters to operate on public sidewalks in Longmont.
Council members voted unanimously to not allow the city’s Model Traffic Code to be amended to allow electric scooters to be regulated like bicycles and electric bikes and allowed on paths and sidewalks.
They cited several concerns over the use of electric scooters including their practicality and the dangers they can pose to the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
The scooters “are useless for families, useless for elders because they are too dangerous for them to operate,” Councilmember Marcia Martin told the council. “I find it really problematic.”
“I want our paths and sidewalks safe for regular people for walking around,” added Councilmember Polly Christensen.
City staff members brought the scooter question to the city council because at least two electric scooter companies have approached Longmont about operating in the city. The companies would manage the scooters and determine the best locations for operations, Phil Greenwald, the city’s transportation manager, told the council.
The city would likely get a small cut from the revenue generated by scooter rentals, Greenwald said.
Electric scooters are currently allowed on public streets but are not allowed on limited access highways, bike or pedestrian paths nor public sidewalks, Greenwald said.
He outlined the pros of electric scooters including their affordability, their accessibility to transit options and a “cleaner” form of transportation. The cons include increased injury for users and conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists.
City staff members typically forward a recommendation to the city council for or against the passage of resolutions. But in the case of electric scooters, staff members did not issue a recommendation, Greenwald said.
“This was a pretty divisive issue with our city staff,” Greenwald said.
