photo by: Associated Press

Sharable electric scooters by Bird Rides, Inc. wait on downtown sidewalks for pedestrian use, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

City leaders will soon decide whether to move forward with a pilot program for electric scooters.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider issuing a request for qualifications for the scooter pilot program. City staff plan to select up to two companies to participate in the pilot program, which calls for a deployment of 500 scooters for six months, according to a city staff memo to the commission.

If commissioners decide to move forward with a pilot program RFQ, additional steps would follow should they decide to conduct the pilot, according to the memo. Specifically, city staff would present an ordinance to define local laws for scooter use, and operational requirements for the participating scooter companies would be detailed in a right-of-way license agreement with the city.

Two companies, VeoRide and Bird, have requested permission to bring scooter rental businesses to Lawrence, and in August the Multi-modal Transportation Commission voted to create a subcommittee to develop the pilot program to test out scooters. One the subcommittee’s main concerns was safety, and the memo states that city staff used input from the subcommittee as well as input from Downtown Lawrence Inc. members to outline requirements and expectations for the proposed RFQ.

The RFQ recommended by city staff includes requirements for the operation of the scooters and the companies themselves. Requirements include the ability to limit the speed and operating locations of the scooters, among other limitations.

For the scooters, the RFQ calls for a maximum scooter speed of 15 mph; front and rear lights; battery charging versus electrical charging; the ability to remotely lock down the scooters outside of established operating times; and the ability to operate only in specific areas via geofencing in designated zones, such as downtown and the University of Kansas campus.

For the scooter companies, the RFQ calls for 24/7 customer service; a plan for hours of operation; a plan for communication and public engagement; an equity plan; and a plan for operations and parking in the downtown and KU campus. In addition, the companies must meet city insurance requirements; share data with the city on trips, collisions and complaints; and deposit $10,000 of cash escrow with the city to reimburse expenses for staff time and equipment to remove scooters in prohibited areas.

City regulations on scooters would be in addition to those passed earlier this year by the state Legislature. State law prohibits people from riding an electric scooter on any interstate highway, federal highway or state highway, according to the memo. State law also allows city and county governments to adopt ordinances further restricting the use of scooters or prohibiting them altogether. Cities also become involved because companies that rent bikes, motorized bikes or scooters must make right-of-way agreements with cities for parking the vehicles.

VeoRide was the first company to request permission to operate scooters in Lawrence. VeoRide currently rents both motorized and nonmotorized bicycles in Lawrence.

If approved by the commission, staff proposes that the pilot program run from April to October. Following the pilot program, the city would determine whether to permit scooters based on an evaluation of the pilot program and public feedback.

The City Commission will convene at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.