DENVER — Four years ago, an electric scooter was a novelty.
Now, scooters zip around Denver daily, sharing the road with people, bikes and cars.
As scooters become more popular, the city is looking at ways to keep riders and pedestrians safe.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) will roll out a pilot program this fall that includes the installation of stencils on sidewalks in LoDo.
"We can expect to see those here soon to remind people that as they're on a scooter to save the sidewalk space for pedestrians and others who need that space," explained Vanessa Lacayo, a spokesperson for DOTI.
Scooters first dropped in Denver in 2018. Data from the city shows there have been more than 9.3 million trips on scooters and e-bikes since late 2018. On average, there are 7,369 trips every day.
LoDo is where the city sees the most people riding e-bikes and electric scooters, Lacayo said.
"We're also looking at trying different types of technology to curb speeds," she said.
DOTI plans to work with the two scooter companies operating in Denver, Lime and Lyft, to slow down scooters in certain areas and prevent people from parking them on sidewalks.
Essentially, when a scooter enters a certain zone, its top speed will be reduced. In fact, the city is already doing this. You've probably noticed if you've ridden a scooter near Coors Field during a Rockies game.
"We have already been using it in an around stadiums downtown, and so this pilot will operate much in the same way that does in that we will look at figuring out where it makes sense to slow people down and or kind of curb where they leave those vehicles once they're done," Lacayo said.
Lacayo said the same technology is being used to curb speeds of scooters and e-bikes along the 16th Street Mall.
DOTI also plans to work with Lime and Lyft to develop in-app messaging to hammer home to riders the importance of safety.
The scooter stencils will be installed sometime before the end of the month, Lacayo said. Then, there will be an observation period to determine whether they worked in convincing riders to slow down.
Lacayo shared the following "dos and dont's" when it comes to riding electric scooters and e-bikes in the city.
The Dos:
- Ride shared bikes and scooters like you would a personal bicycle, obeying all traffic laws
- Devices should be parked upright at all times
- Park in designated parking areas or near racks when possible
- Keep at least five feet from pedestrian paths on sidewalks
The Don’ts:
- Don’t ride on the sidewalk unless starting or ending a trip
- Don’t break traffic laws
- Don't block sidewalks, curb ramps, wheelchair ramps or bus stops
- Don’t block fire hydrants, call boxes or other emergency facilities
- Don’t block driveways
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