Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: Shared Mobility Devices Rules and Regulations
Contact Name: Justin Goodwin
Contact Telephone Number: 614-724-1893
Contact Email Address: jmgoodwin@columbus.gov
Body
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE
CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
SUBJECT: Shared Mobility Devices Rules and Regulations
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2025
PAGES: 1 of 3 BY: Division of Mobility & Parking Services
I. PURPOSE
The Division of Mobility and Parking Services is committed to providing safe, equitable and predictable mobility and parking options for all residents, guests and visitors in the City of Columbus. We aim to increase mobility choices, manage congestion and facilitate access to goods and services in a city experiencing enormous growth.
It is a priority of the City to increase mobility options for its residents, businesses, and visitors. A robust shared mobility device program provides the opportunity to reduce parking demand and vehicle miles traveled, while enhancing mobility options for the public. The success of alternative forms of transportation will have environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits for residents, employees, and visitors while also balancing the needs of other uses in the Right-of-Way. It is also a priority of the City to maximize the available space for pedestrian movement within the sidewalk and other similar Right-of-Way, including within the area surrounding and adjacent to curb ramps or wheelchair ramps, and to ensure that the operation of shared mobility devices by the public does not result in the obstruction of these areas by such devices. In an effort to further these priorities, the City hereby establishes these Rules and Regulations for the conduct of shared mobility devices within the City.
These Rules and Regulations are not meant to regulate the use of individually owned mobility devices, or those not available for public rental within the Right-of-Way, or those used as assistive mobility devices by persons with disabilities. However, such users are subject to all applicable state or local traffic and parking laws or other general codes and regulations. Additionally, these Rules and Regulations are not intended to penalize the unhoused population.
II. AUTHORITY
A. These Rules and Regulations are hereby established pursuant to Columbus City Code Sections 904.01(C) and 904.02(C) to set forth the process and procedures required for the use or occupancy of the City’s Right-of-Way by SMD, as well as Section 902.00 to enforce safety related laws, including, but not limited to, Chapter 902 laws against obstructing sidewalks, bikeways, right-of-way, or streets.
B. Pursuant to the authority granted under Title 21of the Columbus City Code, 1959, as amended, the Director, establishes, and publishes these Rules and Regulations to be effective at the earliest time allowed by law.
C. These Rules and Regulations establish administrative policy for SMD in the Right-of-Way and supersede any previously promulgated rules and regulations for SMD.
III. DEFINITIONS
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in these Rules and Regulations, shall have the meanings ascribed to them, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
A. ADA Access means the design of products, devices, services, vehicles or environments are usable by individuals with disabilities.
B. Department refers to the City of Columbus Department of Public Service.
C. Director refers to the Director of the Department of Public Service, or designee.
D. Pedestrian Accessible Route (PAR) means a continuous and unobstructed path of travel provided for pedestrians having certain mobility and sensory impairment conditions. The PAR must be an unbroken route that will provide access to any destination along a given Right-of-Way that can otherwise be reached by an able-bodied pedestrian.
E. Right-of-Way means a general term denoting land, property or the interest therein, acquired for or devoted to transportation purposes. Right-of-Way includes the surface of and the space above and below the paved or unpaved portion of any public street, road, highway, shares-use path, sidewalk, drive or any other land dedicated or otherwise designated for the same now or hereafter held by the City.
F. Service Level Agreement means a contract entered into between the Department and a SMDV as described in Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes for the operation of SMD within the Right-of-Way.
G. Shared Mobility Devices (SMD) means small mobility devices, such as bicycles, scooters, or other similar mobility device as determined by the Director, including electronic versions thereof, that are offered for short term rental to subscribers on a minute, hourly, or daily basis for a fee for short distance travel.
H. Shared Mobility Device Vendor (SMDV) means an entity approved by the Director via Service Level Agreement to use/occupy the Right-of-Way for offering SMD.
IV. GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. Pursuant to Chapter 904.01 of the Columbus City Code, It shall be the policy of the City to maximize the available space for pedestrian movement within the sidewalk and other similar Right-of-Way, including within the area surrounding and adjacent to curb ramps or wheelchair ramps, which shall be free from obstruction by bicycles, SMD and other similar vehicles or devices.
B. In furtherance of this policy, the Department has determined that it is in the best interest of the public to minimize the number of SMDVs authorized to operate in the Right-of-Way in order to minimize administrative burden to the City, maximize operational efficiency of the SMD program, improve the user experience, and ensure proper enforcement of SMD staging and parking within the Right-of-Way.
C. To achieve these objectives, the Department shall not issue a lease as established under Chapter 904 of the Columbus City Codes (“904 Lease”) or permit as established under Chapter 903 of the Columbus City Codes (“Permit”) for SMD to operate in the Right-of-Way.
D. A Service Level Agreement between the City and the SMDV shall be executed prior to any deployment or operation of a SMD within the Right-of-Way . All terms, conditions and operational requirements shall be defined in such Service Level Agreement.
V. SMD DEPLOYMENT
A. The City, at its own discretion, may designate shared mobility corrals or other device parking areas to assist with the orderly deployment of SMD; including eliminating or adding SMD drop off zones. SMD must be deployed in an upright position and not deployed in the following locations or where prohibited by laws, rules or regulations:
1. In the vehicular portion of the street (including loading zones and vehicular parking spaces), unless it is a designated SMD parking area approved by the City;
2. Blocking the sidewalk and/or ADA Access, including PARs and ADA curb ramps;
3. Doorways, fire escapes, and driveways; or
4. Access into a bus shelter, or in a manner that impedes boarding or departing from a transit vehicle.
B. An SMDV shall not deploy or attach an SMD to any property, fixtures, or structures on personal property or within the Right-of-Way except in dedicated shared mobility corrals, device docking stations, public bicycle racks or other SMD parking areas.
VI. SMD USER REQUIREMENTS
The user of an SMD is subject to the enforcement of all applicable federal, local, and state laws, rules and regulations, including traffic and parking codes and regulations.
A. User parking of devices shall be subject to the same rules as outlined in Section V for SMD deployment, and as may otherwise by specified in a Service Level Agreement between the City and the SMDV.
B. SMD may only be ridden on the street or in a designated bicycle facility and are not permitted to be ridden on the sidewalk, except as may be necessary to initiate or end a trip at a designated SMD parking area, in which case users must operate at low speeds, avoid interfering with safe pedestrian travel, and exit the sidewalk at the nearest opportunity.
BY ORDER:
KELLY SCOCCO, DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE