Atlanta mayor puts brakes on e-scooter permits
ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - In the wake of the second fatal e-scooter death in the city of Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is putting the brakes on new scooter companies to the city.
The Mayor signed an executive order banning all new permits until August 5, which is when she plans on introducing new legislation dealing with the scooters' impact on the city's infrastructure and public safety.
FOX 5 talked with councilman Michael Bond last week, who helped write the ordinance bringing scooters to Atlanta. He said the city might need to impose some new safety rules, including more lighting so scooters can be seen at night and possibly requiring riders to wear helmets.
State lawmakers are also expected to take up an e-scooter bill in next year's session. The Senate plans to put together a panel to address the issue in advance.
All of this comes as Atlanta police announce they won't file charges against the bus driver involved in last week's fatal accident. Investigators determined that 37-year old William Alexander fell off the scooter he was riding and into the path of a CobbLinc bus that was making a turn at the Midtown intersection of West Peachtree and 15th Street. Police say the bus driver was not at fault. Family members told FOX 5 Alexander was married and leaves behind two small children. He was returning home from an Atlanta United game when the accident happened.
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Earlier this week, e-scooter and bike riders converged in Midtown calling for the city of Atlanta to take steps to keep them safe. Organizers would like to see so-called "light individual traffic lanes" installed in high-density areas where scooter and bikes are popular.