WASHINGTON — From Spin to Bird, Lyft to Lime, the way scooter-lovers zip around the District will change as October brings new legislation that will require them to lock up the devices after they’re done for the day.
The change is a result of D.C. City Council legislation, which specifies that the scooters must now be locked to objects after the ride is over, at least three feet away from where pedestrians walk.
“Our team is hard at work equipping our vehicles with Bluetooth locks and educating riders as well as the community on how to use the new technology,” said scooter rental company Bird about how they intend to adjust to the new law.
Bird scooters will feature Bluetooth locks that you’ll have to scan to unlock. Riders are then asked to take a picture of the scooter when it’s been locked again to a secure object or bike rack after the ride is over.
Lime scooters will also utilize the Bluetooth and QR-code scanning lock system. They specify on their website that city regulations require all riders to lock the vehicle upright and parallel to a bike rack, leave space for other riders on the rack, as well as be mindful not to lock the vehicle to other vehicles.
Lime also requires riders to take a photo, clearly showing the secured vehicle in order to end your ride.
Although some pedestrians may celebrate the new law meant to curb sidewalk obstructions, many locals voiced their frustration with the new rule on a popular D.C. subreddit thread that has more than 300 comments.
“If the city starts putting bike racks all over the place then this is great. But they're not, so this isn't,” one user posted, echoing more users who lamented that finding a place to lock a scooter at the end of their ride could be cumbersome, or even dangerous.
“I often use scooters to get home at night, especially for shorter distances. Having to walk to find a proper docking location, especially at night, can be nervewracking,” the original poster said. “I completely empathize with those who are impeded by scooters littering the sidewalk, but having to find a bike rack or other form of rack to park the scooter after a ride sort of defeats one of the largest benefits of the scooter, which is quick, safe, and efficient door to door travel.”
However, one user accurately pointed out that the law does request that additional racks be built over the next few years specifically for the devices, stating the requirement that the Director of the District Department of Transportation construct “at least 1,000 racks a year until 2025 for the parking of electric mobility devices.”
One Reddit user expressed what a difference the law could make in theory for them due to their use of a wheelchair. “These scooters are lowkey the bane of my existence,” the comment reads. “It’s not possible for me to just sidestep them like most people can. It’d make my life way easier and D.C. way more accessible if people did this.”
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