City of Columbus Puts In Place Beginnings of Regulations on Shared Mobility Devices

Department of Public Service Working With Other City Agencies

The City of Columbus Department of Public Service is implementing rules and regulations surrounding Shared Mobility Devices, more commonly known as shared scooters and bicycles for short-term rental. These guidelines, which take effect immediately, were developed after collaborative discussions between Public Service, Public Safety, the City Attorney’s Office and Smart Columbus.

“Shared mobility devices present a mobility option that can fill a need in Columbus, if handled appropriately,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “I tasked our Department of Public Service to come up with common-sense guidelines to manage right of way concerns as a first step to a thorough and thoughtful plan that works in our city.”

The regulations include:

·         Companies seeking to offer Shared Mobility Devices for public use must obtain permits from the department to operate in the city. A maximum of eight companies at any one time may offer their products in the city.

·         The devices must be parked in an upright position and cannot be parked in the vehicle portions of the street, including parking spots and loading zones. They also cannot be parked in doorways, and they cannot block pedestrians on sidewalks or curb ramps, fire escapes, inside bus shelters, in driveways or on unauthorized private property or unapproved non-public spaces.

·         The City of Columbus may designate parking/staging spots for the devices in the city to assist with keeping order in the public’s right of way.

·         Each company that receives a permit to offer Shared Mobility Devices in the city is limited to offering up to 500 devices. The Director of Public Service has the authority to increase this number based on demand and usage. The devices offered must not be able to go faster than 15 MPH.

·         Companies offering Shared Mobility Devices are required to educate riders on responsible and legal use of their devices.

·         Companies offering Shared Mobility Devices must deploy at least some of devices in neighborhoods outside of the Central Business District as designated by the Office of the Mayor.

·         Companies offering Shared Mobility Devices must put in place access to the service for those without credit cards.

·         Companies with existing operations will have 30 days to come into compliance. 

At the direction of Mayor Ginther, the Department of Public Service is continuing a multi-agency look at additional policies on a range of other issues connected to the regulation of Shared Mobility Devices.

These rules largely govern the storage of shared mobility devices in the public’s right of way. The Ginther administration will be drafting legislation in the near future that will look at the operation of shared mobility devices.