Greater Dallas Planning Council (GDPC) – Mobility Task Force July
17, 2019
Some suggestions for the next round of rental bike and scooter
regulations:
We (the Mobility Taskforce of GDPC) have been monitoring developments
in the micro-mobility space since our visit with City staff in May. Clearly,
the current pace of change is unprecedented, and warrants continued study. Our
taskforce is greatly encouraged by the resourcefulness and energy of the Dallas
Department of Transportation staff. We committed to add our voices – as
architects, engineers, planners and citizen-activists – to the many good ideas
that are already being considered. Please consider the following commentaries in
that context.
1. Micro-mobility or “mi-mo” (pronounced
“my-mow”) is rapidly emerging as a practical alternative to the automobile. In
addition to walking, scooters and bike--share rentals offer “last mile”
connectivity to the transportation mix, perhaps as viable alternatives to driving
automobiles, perhaps as a default form of local urban mobility. We applaud Dallas
DOT’s minimal regulatory approach in the 2018 extension of the Dockless
Mobility pilot. This allowed everyone to learn from experience, as the
technology and business models evolve.
2. Dallas, along with numerous other cites
that permit dockless platforms has experienced widespread flaunting of proper
usage on our urban sidewalks and streets. For mi-mo to function properly, Dallas
will need to adapt its street configurations to better accommodate them.
Whatever course the city decides from here, most area leaders and stakeholders are
calling for street design alternatives. Concepts such as “complete streets” and
“mobility (bike) lanes” must be addressed in any infrastructure redesigns, and
the associated policies to accommodate wise choices in both these areas will be
critical to the success of accommodating these modes.
3. It’s apparent that the device investors
see potential for substantial revenue and profit, particularly with subsequent
sale of user data. City staff are clearly committed to data-driven decision
making. They see this inherent outcome – and acknowledge that the current
dockless business models in play must become better understood by regulators. GDPC
supports the DOT’s call for access to dockless operator data, preferably
through, at least partial, access to their API.
4. GDPC also supports the City proposing
increases in mi-mo operator permitting fees. This is not intended as exploitation;
but is an acknowledgement of the city’s underlying economic and social
inequalities. We encourage a proposal to require that operators make
devices available in underserved neighborhoods, and offering some kind of cash-card
option for the rental of these devices.
5. We appreciate Dallas DOT’s focus on public
health and safety aspects of these new forms of mobility, especially given the
alarming spikes in trauma arising from use of e-scooters in particular.
We believe the current scooter designs (operated whilst standing, on
small diameter wheels, at speeds exceeding 12 mph) are inherently dangerous
for all but the most agile riders. And even then, only on smooth pavement. Add
to that the power capabilities, the high centers of gravity and short wheelbases of current
models – clearly call for replacing these with devices more townspeople can
safely operate and make hand signals from. Wireless speed controls and
applications of “geofencing” could also do much to help control unsafe use.
The latter technology might also be applied to counter the device stationing
that has far too often left our parklands and sidewalks cluttered if not
obscured. Interventions may require a carefully considered and well-organized
public-private partnership that can serve to incentivize and spur adoption of
locations for orderly, convenient staging and returns.
6. Finally, the Mobility Taskforce believes
that the device providers must do much more to educate users -- and even
withhold rentals from use by repeated scofflaws.
All such efforts should be made in the context of a commitment
to Vision Zero for traffic fatalities in general.
The City of Dallas DOT, in its wisdom, has seen the possibility
of a new transportation hierarchy – one that could reverse some of those acknowledged
adverse impacts.
We, the Mobility Taskforce of the Greater Dallas Planning
Council, offer our emphatic encouragement, and hope that City staff will achieve
the political support for making these changes going forward. We pledge to do
all that we can to help the City achieve these objectives. We look forward to
continued collaboration as the City staff prepares the next set of policies and
regulations.
Please advise us of any specific steps we may take to be of
further assistance.
Sincerely,
W.J. ‘Bud’ Melton III, Chairman
2019 GDPC Mobility Taskforce
WJM/JEC
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