Electric Scooters Set For Debut In Fairfax City

FAIRFAX, VA—They're here. Well, not quite yet. But soon. We're talking about electric scooters, and beginning July 8, the City of Fairfax will launch its one-year pilot program for the transportation craze that has been greeted both with delight and consternation in many parts of Northern Virginia.

According to the city, three companies—Lime, Bird and Spin—can each deploy up to 250 e-scooters. Users will be able to download a smart-phone app to rent a scooter, and the app also will help locate and rent the scooter. The city plans to host a series of "scooter rodeos" in city neighborhoods this summer to help residents grasp the concept and also how to used the app.

The District of Columbia and Montgomery County, Maryland were the first in the region to establish pilot programs in 2017. Arlington County and the City of Alexandria joined in 2018. Virginia has passed a law, effective July 1,2019, that allows localities to regulate the operation of the scooters. Starting on Jan. 1, 2020, the devices will be allowed without regulation even if the localities do not establish a regulation program.

To view the law, click here and scroll down to 46.2-1315.

According to Chloe Ritter, the city's multi-modal transportation planner, most companies charge a flat fee of $1 to star a trip, pluyce a per-minute fee—usually 15 cents per minute—for the amount of time the scooter is rented.

Last week, a member of Alexandria City Council said he wants the city to suspend the dockless scooter pilot program until it can develop new rules to address safety concerns. He cited the Associated Press's report of 11 deaths relating to electric scooters in the U.S. since 2018.

Patch reporter Emily Leayman contributed to this article.