Council unanimously approves micromobility ordinance, paving way for more transportation options

Following a discussion regarding enforcement policies and legal details, the Birmingham City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that opens the door for shared micromobility companies to operate within the city.

Last year, the Birmingham City Council passed a resolution in support of Senate Bill 312. The bill was signed into law on May 30, 2019 which allowed for municipalities to regulate micromobility services, such as scooters, bikes and other similar devices.

On January 30, the Council’s Transportation Committee voted to recommend the micromobility ordinance to the full Council for approval.

Over the last year, representatives with various micromobility companies have presented to the Transportation Committee, and helped work with city officials on drafting the new ordinance. Tuesday’s vote was the culmination of those efforts.

“Getting around in Birmingham is a challenge for a lot of people,” said Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who chairs the Transportation Committee. “It’s important that we have this option be available to not only people who live here, but also people who are visiting…There’s been a lot of due diligence that has been done leading up to this point and we have been watching this industry sort of unfold and evolve across the country, observing some of the missteps that were made — trying to make sure that we don’t encounter the same pitfalls here.”

Once the ordinance is signed by Mayor Randall Woodfin, the City’s Department of Transportation can start reviewing applications from vendors. Officials said they believe citizens can expect to see this new transportation option on the streets within two to three months. One aspect of the ordinance that is worth noting: for every two scooters that a vendor deploys, they must also make an electric bicycle available for use. These are more effective for longer commutes, O’Quinn explained.

Birmingham is shifting to a competitive, market-driven approach that can take full advantage of this rapidly innovating industry.

In 2018, more than twice as many trips — 84 million — were taken on shared micromobility in the U.S. as compared to the year before, according to the National Association of Transportation Officials. The ordinance puts forth regulations that will prohibit the use of micromobility devices on sidewalks and pedestrian rights-of-way. The ordinance also allows for the City to implement geofencing that will prohibit the use of the devices in areas such as pedestrian walkways in City parks.

The enabling state legislation — SB 312 — defines a shared micromobility device as, “a type of transportation device that includes a bicycle, tricycle, scooter, hoverboard, skateboard, pedal car, or similar device (except a device used as an electrical personal assistive mobility device by a person with disabilities) used in a system that provides such devices to users for short-term rentals, whether or not the system requires docking stations or other similar fixed infrastructure to receive or return the device.”

Birmingham led the way on micromobility by introducing North America’s first electric pedal-assist bicycles in the Zyp Bikeshare system in 2015. This public-private partnership has proven that there is demand for a shared-use system with over 218K rides and 252K miles traveled to date. However, Zyp’s contract expired on December 31, 2019, meaning residents no longer have that as a transportation option.

Councilor John Hilliard, who chairs the Economic Development Committee, has been a major voice for the implementation of shared micromobility in Birmingham. “We need to be on the cutting edge of this technology,” Hilliard said. “We have to look at all the ways in which we can provide affordable and reliable transportation options to our residents. When I travel to other cities, I will often utilize services like this, so not only is it beneficial to residents, but also people visiting from around the world. I believe it will be a big boost for the local economy with more people being able to get around.”