UPDATE: St. Pete City Council approved the Micro Mobility ordinance 6-1, with council member Kornell being the lone denier. The ordinance now heads to a public hearing on October 17 for final approval. The hearing will feature an updated Powerpoint presentation.

If passed, scooters would not be allowed on sidewalks, or around the Burg’s waterfront areas/The Pier. Geofencing technology would shut down the scooters should they venture to a restricted area in the Burg.

********************

How do you feel about electric scooters?

Across the country many cities are trying to decide whether they’re a viable option for transportation. Many enjoy the ability to cruise around downtown areas without exhausting so much energy on foot/bike. While they are convenient, some have argued they’re also dangerous.

Tampa has had some issues with riders not properly docking scooters and instead leaving them out on sidewalks and on curbs.

Burg officials have a plan to make the rollout in the Sunshine City smoother. Scooters would be banned from use on sidewalks, and instead would only be allowed in bike lanes. Scooter users would have to park them in corrals when they’re done riding. If they don’t they’d be charged for each additional hour the scooter is not properly docked. Scooters in St. Pete would also only be available between 6am and 10pm.

Scooters would also only be available to riders 18 and over.

The ordinance will be heard and voted on during a meeting on October 3, which you can watch on St. Pete TV here. If the ordinance is approved, then there would be a second reading on October 17. If it fully gets the green light residents could see scooters in the Burg before the end of the year.

Do you want to see scooters in St. Pete?