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Atlanta's proposal to extend scooter share curfew moves forward

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Published  October 30, 2024 10:51pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Rental scooter, e-bike program changes

The City of Atlanta could be making changes to its rental scooter and e-bike program's curfew.

The Brief

    • Atlanta's City Council's Transportation Committee passed a measure to extend the scooter and e-bike rental curfew to 2 a.m. from the current midnight limit.
    • The existing curfew was established following safety concerns due to four fatal accidents involving scooters in 2019.
    • Some council members and residents support the extension, arguing that it offers essential transportation for late-night workers and can improve safety for certain users, like female students who feel safer riding scooters at night.
    • The Atlanta Police Department is concerned about potential safety risks and an increase in crimes associated with the use of scooters in the late-night hours.
    • The proposed curfew extension has moved forward with tentative support from the Transportation Committee, as most members await further data on scooter safety before a full council vote.

ATLANTA - The city of Atlanta is considering changes to its rental scooter and e-bike program that could allow rides later into the night. 

On Wednesday, the City Council’s Transportation Committee advanced a measure to extend the rental curfew, potentially allowing rides until 2 a.m.

The current curfew for the bikes and scooters is midnight. The restriction was first implemented in 2019 following four fatal accidents involving scooters. Initially, rentals were shut down at 9 p.m., but this was later extended to midnight. 

However, some city leaders argue that the curfew unfairly limits transportation options for those working late-night shifts.

"The logic never really held to me why we were banning one type of motor transportation at night when you had others that were equally vulnerable or equally dangerous," Council member Amir Farokhi of District 2 said. 

The council member added that the curfew impacts his working-class constituents, especially, "workers in town who use the scooters to get to and from their jobs at hotels and restaurants, after hours to get to market and otherwise get home."

The Atlanta Police Department has raised concerns regarding the proposed change. 

Assistant Chief Carven Tyus explained to the committee that there are safety risks associated with late-night scooter use. 

"We do have people that use those scooters once it becomes dark to commit crimes," Tyus said. He added that police would like to see more data before any curfew extension is implemented. "We're all about the connectivity and people using scooters, but we just see a different breed of people using those scooters after midnight," he stated.

Farokhi countered that the curfew is an excessive measure. "When I have a drive-by shooting on Boulevard, APD isn't standing here telling me we need to ban cars in the hours of ten and twelve because there was a drive-by," he argued.

Some city residents and students also voiced their support for the extended hours. 

A master’s student at Georgia Tech who regularly uses a scooter for late-night transportation told FOX 5, "As a female, being able to ride my scooter at night honestly makes me feel a little bit safer."

The 2 a.m. curfew extension was approved by the Transportation Committee with three yes votes, though most members abstained, saying they wanted to see additional data on scooter safety. 

The measure now advances to the full City Council for a vote.

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta original report.