EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
Working Towards
Further Development
How are new transit developments aff ecting the industry?
I
8 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | NOVEMBER 2018
Editorial
Advisory Board
Andrew Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
The Rapid
Gary Thomas
President/
Executive Director
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Keith Jones, P.E.
General Manager
DC Streetcar
Kristen Joyner
Executive Director
South West Transit
Association
Matthew Tucker
Executive Director
North County
Transit District
Paul Larousse
Director
National Transit Institute
t’s that time of year again when the summer fades to fall and the changing
colors adorn the trees. Like the changing seasons, the transit industry
is ever changing as well. More mobility options are expanding,
including e-scooters, bike rentals and autonomous shuttle trials. Options
like e-scooters bring it to question as to what laws and considerations
need to be adhered to when it comes to deploying them on the streets.
Despite any concerns for operations within cities – and determining
how to adapt to each city’s personal infrastructure – the emerging
companies have received a great deal of funding. E-scooters are one of
the growing options for fi rst mile, last mile and have a diverse reach
as to who rides them.
Like with Uber and Lyft , cities have had to determine how they can
be regulated and it brings to question as to how regulations can be
enforced. In Charlotte, North Carolina their pilot service for e-scooters
allowed for an introduction of 400 e-scooters from both Bird and
Lime. Charlotte city offi cials is waiting to see what rules legislators will
implement as to moderating the e-scooters, which can reach up to 20
miles per hour and are used on both sidewalks and streets. In Charlotte
the worry leads to if the city puts strict rules into place, they could be
overturned by further legislation.
Lyft and Uber are looking to expand each of their company’s reach into
further ride-sharing developments. In addition to autonomous testing,
the companies are also looking to introduce their own e-scooter ventures.
In San Francisco Lyft recently contacted Mayor London Breed to ask that
she reconsider the decision made for e-scooter permits. SFMTA accepted
around a dozen applications for a pilot program for app-based rentals
for e-scooters. Th e agency made the decision to select two companies for
the pilot, Scoot and Skip, deploying 1,250 scooters within six months of
the yearlong pilot and the option to possibly expand upon that number.
Other cities have implemented bans aft er safety concerns. In Denver
the use of e-scooters were suspended aft er safety concerns and e-scooters
being left around the city. Watching such developments call into question
as to how fi rst mile, last mile will further develop and what impact that
will have on traditional transit methods.
Maile Bucher, Assistant Editor
Like with
Uber and
Lyft, cities
have to
determine
how
regulations
can be
enforced.
/MassTransitmag.com