HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - October 6, 2021 H-01AGENDA ITEM H
JQ CITY OF LODI
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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AGENDA TITLE: Receive Council Feedback Regarding Investment of Staff Time to Conduct
Research on Viability of Electric Scooters in Downtown Lodi
MEETING DATE: October 6, 2021
PREPARED BY: Public Works Director
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive Council Feedback Regarding Investment of Staff Time to
Conduct Research on Viability of Electric Scooters in Downtown Lodi.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Over the past several years, electric scooters (and bicycles) have
become more popular in Cities. Cities have contracted with
companies such as Lime and Bird to encourage public transit by
offering additional mobility options for traveling the "last mile".
There is a growing library of information and case studies as use of electric scooters evolves. While the
idea of electric scooters seems fun and can be a convenient and efficient mode of travel for getting
around town, they also come with Concerns over public safety, liability, and their overall impact to a City's
downtown character. Staff anticipates it will take a substantial amount of staff time to provide meaningful
information for Council consideration.
Staff is requesting feedback and direction from Council to determine if investing staff time exploring the
pros and cons of electric scooters is warranted at this time since staffing resources are limited.
FISCAL IMPACT: Not applicable.
FUNDING AVAILABLE: Not applicable.
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Charles E. Swimley, Jr.
Public Works Director
Prepared by Charles E. Swimley, Jr., Public Works Director
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Email• sschwabauer@lodi.gov
APPROVED:
Steve Schwabauer
Stephen Schwabauer, City Manager
llcvcfilv021pubwks$\WPICOUNCIL12021 ICC E_scooter feedback.doc
9/28/2021
it a 7
Considerations
• Transit friendly
• Fun
• Downtown character
• Safety
• Liability
• Should staff proceed vetting policy considerations at
this time?
it a 7
Dilpa'st-le
Comments for City Council Agenda Item H-1 (Electric Scooters in Downtown Lodi) October 6,_2021;
• First, I'd just like to say that I was surprised when I saw this on the agenda as I truly don't feel
that Lodi needs this. When you look at other cities who have (or have had) these sort of
vehicles — Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Nashville, New York, etc —
they're large and difficult to get around. Lodi is not. It's small and easily navigable by foot.
There's simply no need for them here.
• Also, in every city that has them, you'll see that riders frequently abandon them wherever is
convenient — in the middle of sidewalks, partially in streets, in front of houses and businesses,
etc. They become urban blight as well as hazards for pedestrians, cars and the handicapped.
o They're also dangerous for the riders. Some of these scooters can travel faster than residential
speed limits (up to 30mph) and virtually no one wears helmets because they don't come with
them and it's not like people are walking around with helmets.
• According to an article in USA Today there's been at least 8 scooter riders who have died while
riding these things. In fact, the Mayor of Nashville called for a ban on them after a scooter -
related death. He also shared a number of concerns in a letter he wrote to 7 different scooter
companies notifying them of his decision to end their scooter pilot program and ban electric
scooters from their streets. In announcing the letter, the Mayor stated "We have seen the
public safety and accessibility costs that these devices inflict, and it is not fair to our residents for
this (program) to continue." And in the actual letter he cited specific concerns about the scooter
operations, including: "visual clutter, improper riding, and parking violations" (to name a few).
• Now I ask you, is this what we want for our downtown area?
Respectfully,
Kyle Jasperson
Source for USA Today story: htt s: www.usatoda .com sto tech 2019 08 13 wh -scooters-
become-poou l a r -a n d -co ntrove rs is 1116203570011
Jennifer Cusmir
From: David Claxton <dclaxton@rocketmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 4:51 PM
To: City Council Comments
Cc: Steve Schwabauer; Charles Swimley; John Della Monica
Subject: H-3 Receive Council Feedback Regarding Investment of Staff Time to Conduct Research
on Viability of Electric Scooters in Downtown Lodi (PW)
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Good evening Mr. Mayor and Council members:
My name is David Claxton. I am unable to attend the meeting via the internet this evening but wanted to share my thoughts on the
above calendared item.
As business owner downtown I am opposed to the City even considering allowing electric scooters downtown. They are inappropriate
for the size of our downtown area; they will clutter our sidewalks and alleys, give the homeless one more piece of property to
vandalize, and cause a safety issues on the sidewalks and streets. Given the number of bars and wine tasting rooms downtown, their
availability will cause other issues. The scooters may be appropriate in larger city's where there is a work force that uses them for
moving about the city, but to use them in our small downtown area will take away from the character and charm that attracts folks to
small towns like Lodi.
Is there is a company that is actually interested in bringing scooters to Lodi, and if so, why are they not the ones footing the bill for the
study that the council is considering.
As you know, I am also the president of the DBA Downtown Business Alliance and we represent approximately 100 of the businesses
downtown. While we have not had a chance to poll our members on the subject or consider taking a formal position, I can say that all
the informal responses I have received from multiple business owners and downtown visitors has been 100% against the idea of
scooters in our downtown.
The City has many other much more pressing issues to spend funds or allocate staff resources to including cleaning up the downtown,
the homeless issues, etc.
Thank you for your consideration.
David Claxton
H -\
October 6, 2021
Re: E -Scooters
Thank you Mayor Nakanishi and Council members for taking time to consider E -scooters in Lodi
E -Scooters do provide convenience to users, particularly in larger cities. Under some
circumstances they can transport users 60 city blocks which is no doubt beneficial in larger
population centers. In Lodi's six -block downtown environment however, they serve no useful
purpose and in my opinion e -scooters will not be the future of micro -mobility.
Increasingly fed -up residents in other communities have started to push back on e -scooters.
The debate has become more intense, and many cities have concluded the benefits are far
outweighed by the problems they have caused. Among those problems:
1. Scooters are often being strewn about cities and abandoned in store entrances, streets,
sidewalks and alleys. They end up in planters, fountains rivers and lakes. They will
clutter our freeways and underpasses and will be found in temporary encampments.
2. Many users feel they are not required to follow traffic rules. They run stop signs and
traffic lights. They will ride on sidewalks and in crosswalks with careless disregard for
pedestrians. There have been complaints of groups of riders tying up traffic, often times
with two riders or more per scooter.
3. Inexperienced riders choosing to "test their skills" will produce lots of bad outcomes. In
a study conducted in Austin, Tex., nearly half the people injured on an electric scooter
sustained head injuries, and 15 percent of those head injuries were classified as
"traumatic."
4. Many other cities have found they are frequently used for entertainment rather than
transportation. This has become a major problem in San Diego. The mixture of alcohol
and e -scooters in the Gas Lamp district has resulted in numerous lacerations, broken
bones, and lawsuits.
5. Over -burdened police departments do not have time to regulate use, nor will they have
time to enforce violations.
Many cities have been caught off guard by the sudden appearance of e -scooters and the costs
associated with their regulation. It is to your credit that you are staying in front of this issue and
taking time to consider the implications. Micro -mobility is coming of age, but it takes years to
build the kind of infrastructure that would make it safe and reliable for our residents. Based on
the hazards and drawbacks I don't believe e -scooters will be the future of micro -mobility. My
recommendation is that the city should not direct any of its time or resources exploring the use
of e -scooters.
Best Regards,
Dave Kirsten