Bikeshare

Yesterday we learned that JUMP (and Uber) was launching their scooters in D.C.

Marco writes this morning:

“We can’t take these companies seriously as they insinuate themselves into our cities as viable transportation options and then double their prices with one day’s notice.”

Ed. Note: For bikes it used to be $2 ride for 30 minutes and then .07/minute. I asked Marco to do the math on that, because I was told there would be no math today, and he replied:

“I guess from a customer perspective the “break even” is 13 minutes, so it’s a net loss to customers if the average rides are above that. But my bigger issue is the one day notice over email as it pertains to the city treating them as a transportation asset.”

From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced a major step toward more equitable transportation options with a broad but incremental expansion of the dockless vehicle sharing program for 2019.

In 2019, DDOT plans to issue ten public right-of-way occupancy permits to operators of dockless bicycles or electric scooters. The 10 approved permits will allow up to 6,000 vehicles, which is a 2.5 times the maximum of 2,400 on the street today. (more…)

From DDOT:

“Today, Mayor Bowser’s District Department of Transportation (DDOT) released the new permit application for the dockless vehicle program, which includes an expansion of the program beginning January 1, 2019.

“The new dockless permit requirements reflect the promise DDOT sees in this program to increase active transportation in the District, as well as the many valid concerns we heard from a wide range of stakeholders involving safety and equity,” said DDOT Director, Jeff Marootian. “With the new permit we are upholding Mayor Bowser’s commitment to fostering innovation and competition among the many operators in this space while also delivering the safest, most sustainable, and most efficient transportation options to District residents and visitors.”

The application lays out the District’s goals for the program, and includes detailed terms and conditions for companies that are intended to maximize the safety, equity and mobility of the program. The new requirements will apply to any company seeking to participate in the dockless vehicle sharing program in 2019. Permits issued during this period will be valid from January 1 to December 31, 2019.

After a review process, applications will be evaluated and DDOT will issue permits to qualified dockless vehicle operators.

Among the requirements for the 2019 program, participating companies must: (more…)

From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation today announced it will continue the Dockless Vehicle Program for bicycles and scooters in the District.

The existing program will extend through December 2018 with minor changes. DDOT plans further changes to the program in 2019, once new regulations are proposed and adopted this Fall.

“Mayor Bowser consistently challenges us to think creatively about transportation options for District residents, as we have done for this program. We have learned a tremendous amount about the viability and performance of dockless vehicles through this demonstration project,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian. “As we move forward with the program, DDOT will use the information gleaned from users, non-users, stakeholders and the participating companies to design long-term management policies that will allow the program to expand while maintaining the integrity and safety of our public space.”

From the start of the program in September 2017 through June 2018 users took more than 625,000 rides on dockless bikes and scooters. In May 2018 alone, more than 55,000 users took over 140,000 trips.

Phase I Extension

The Phase 1 extension will run from September through December 2018 and maintain the current cap on vehicles at 400 per company. One of the key new features is a requirement that dockless bikes must have a mechanism for bikes to lock to a bike rack or other post to maintain unobstructed pedestrian areas and prevent tipping. (more…)