Few months in, e-scooters in Dallas already cause problems

Dallas - Dallas's recent revival of motorized scooters and bikes hasn't gone as smoothly as expected, with the City being inundated by nearly 700 complaints through its 311 system since the vehicles' return in May, Dallas Metro News reported.

After a two-year pause, the City announced the comeback of these electric mobility options in March. The vehicles, provided by Bird, Lime, and Superpedestrian, were launched onto city streets in May.

To regulate their use, the City imposed rules for parking and operation, including requirements for parking these vehicles in designated spots, bike racks, or the buffer zone between the street and sidewalk.

However, problems have persisted despite these measures. Reports of incorrectly parked scooters, and accidents due to their usage have been on the rise throughout the city. In response to repeated inquiries since the relaunch, the Dallas City Council issued a memo last week, detailing the extent of the 311 reports.

“Between the scooter relaunch on May 24 and July 17, there have been 674 submissions to 311,” the council said in the memo. “The number of 311 submissions is reflective of the work done to actively advertise and promote 311 as the optimal method to address parking and riding issues for data-driven compliance management.”

Jessica Scott, from the Dallas Transportation Department, informed NBC 5 DFW that most of these complaints were related to incorrect parking, and have been forwarded to the service providers for resolution.

“We’re extremely satisfied with the response that the operators are showing. They’re improving rapidly. And for now, we’re satisfied with that response and really just allowing some time for these growing pains to resolve,” Scott said, according to NBC 5.

There are concerns, though, that scooters aren't being operated within the prescribed hours. Stephanie Keller Hudiburg, head of the Deep Ellum Foundation, told NBC 5 that the scooters were not consistently being deactivated at 9 p.m. as required, indicating more adjustments were needed.

“As the program is to be reevaluated every three months, a meeting with the operators and Micromobility Working Group will be scheduled for late August to review the program metrics and discuss any recommended changes to the rules,” the City said in the memo.

The memo also informed that the City will add a comment form on the Shared Dockless Vehicle Program's website this week, inviting citizens to share their thoughts and suggest changes.

Content credit: Dallas Metro News, City of Dallas, NBC DFW