Boise plans e-scooter future that would change how you scoot. What city seeks, and why
Boise leaders are working to limit the number of electric scooter vendors in the city by partnering with a single provider, in an effort to have a system that is more tailor-made to the city.
The plans — which may also include electric bikes — could remake what’s known as “micromobility” in Boise and eventually be integrated with public transportation.
At a Tuesday City Council meeting, Tim Keane, Boise’s planning director, said that city staff members plan to discontinue contracts with three scooter companies and instead solicit a partnership with a single vendor.
The three companies — Lime, Bird and Spin — have contracts with Boise that will last until next spring, Keane said. The city plans to ask for applications from vendors starting next month and hopes to launch a new scooter system with the new vendor in May.
Keane said having a single vendor, as opposed to regulating multiple scooter companies, could help the city achieve its goals, which include having better distribution of the scooters, lower fares and more safety precautions.
The future of e-bikes in Boise could also be part of the picture, though Keane noted that “the companies aren’t as interested in e-bikes.” Boise’s own bike-share program, which was run by Valley Regional Transit, was shut down in 2020 because of funding problems. An e-bike pilot program, also run by the local transit agency, began in June and runs until the end of the month.
“We certainly do want us all working together,” Keane said, noting that he hopes Boise State University, which now has a contract with an e-scooter company, will be integrated into the city’s eventual system.
American cities in recent years have been flooded with scooters from different companies looking to capitalize on the new technology, but Keane said cities are now moving in the single-vendor direction.
“Rather than just regulating them, let’s work with someone to actually try to address issues that we would like addressed,” he said. “When we’re in a regulatory mode, we have less kind of control over that.”
After selecting a company in January, the city may also seek private sponsorships, which could help with the distribution issues, Keane said.
At the meeting, Mayor Lauren McLean pointed out that scooters could eventually help people get from a bus stop to home, if positioned correctly.
Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton said he hoped the city would also have access to the company’s data, so that how people use the scooters could be further studied.
Keane also noted the city is considering recreating a bicycle advisory committee, which would be associated with another new planning team focusing on mobility in public spaces.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 3:50 PM.
