Dockless Vehicle Update

Annual chart of dockless vehicle deployment and ridership

Annual chart of dockless vehicle deployment and ridership

When dockless scooters and bikes first came to Baltimore, as advocates we embraced them, working with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation and providers of dockless vehicles to develop a pilot program that was a resounding success. 

As Bikemore, we chose to embrace these vehicles on city streets because we felt Baltimore needed more transportation options in more places, anecdotally saw a diverse ridership utilizing the vehicles, and because we were hopeful that they could serve to replace car trips under one mile, which are very frequent in Baltimore City. The Pilot Program Evaluation Report showed that many of these things were true. Users self-reported replacing driving and rideshare trips with dockless vehicle trips without negatively affecting their use of transit or biking. Walking increased, as more people were choosing to walk and find a scooter than wait for a rideshare or hop in the car and drive.

Because of the success of the pilot, and wide support amongst all demographics surveyed, Baltimore City Council formally legislated a permanent Dockless Vehicle For Hire Permit Program, developed and administered by Baltimore City Department of Transportation. Bikemore worked closely with city council members and Department of Transportation staff to develop recommendations that were adopted into the rules, regulations, and permit program.

This month ends the first quarter of that permit program, and we’ve seen a steady increase of ridership throughout the summer, peaking with over 75,000 vehicle trips in the third week of September. It’s clear that the demand for more shared mobility options is strong in Baltimore City, and that our city must adapt to this demand by quickly building more protected infrastructure to ride in and dedicated parking areas to store dockless vehicles at popular origins and destinations. 

Baltimore City Department of Transportation is planning to release a report on the program through the first quarter in early November. We look forward to analyzing the program more at that time. For now, we’ve updated our shared mobility page with details on the dockless vehicle providers that have received permits, as well as details on the permit regulations. A summary is below:

Summary

Up to 4 shared mobility vendors are eligible for a year-long permit under the new permanent regulations, which went into effect on August 1, 2019. 

The current permit holders are: 

Jump

Lime

Spin

Bolt 

Below are some highlights from the rules and regulations. For a copy of the full rules and regulations and more information, please visit the Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s Dockless Vehicles page.

Fleet Size

Each permit holder is allowed to deploy up to 1,000 vehicles of a single vehicle type. If a permit holder chooses to deploy multiple vehicle types, they may deploy an additional 1,000 vehicles with a minimum of 150 of each vehicle type. Permit holders may also deploy an unlimited number of accessible vehicles, which are vehicles designed for people living with disability.

Fleet Distribution

Under equity guidance from the adopted rules and regulations, permit holders must distribute a minimum of 5% of their fleet into each of the nine city planning districts, and can deploy no more than 25% of their vehicles in any single district. If more than 35% of vehicles are ridden into a single district, the operator must rebalance those vehicles to the 25% threshold or lower.

Additionally, there are 20 defined one block equity zones in the permit. These equity zones are centered around public transportation hubs, libraries, business corridors, and other areas of likely high ridership that are outside of the central city. A minimum of 4 vehicles must be placed in each equity zone block by 8:00 each morning. These equity zones will eventually receive dedicated parking corrals for vehicle placement, installed by Baltimore City Department of Transportation.  

Payment

Permit holders are allowed to set their own pricing, but are not allowed to differentiate pricing between any user groups except for a defined low-income access plan. They must also notify Baltimore City Department of Transportation about any changes in pricing.

All permit holders are required to offer cash payment options, pay without a smartphone options, and a low-income access plan to any SNAP/WIC enrolled individuals. 

Data

Permit holders are required to share data with Baltimore City Department of Transportation via the Mobility Data Specification, and are also required to provide a publicly accessible General Bikeshare Feed Specification.

Revenue/Expenses

Each permit holder is required to pay a $70,000 permitting fee, a $10,000 performance bond, and a $0.10 excise tax per rental.

The annual permitting fee covers the cost of Baltimore City Department of Transportation shared mobility program staff, in addition to innovative public engagement and infrastructure:

  • A Resident Mobility Advisory Board will be established, similar to the successful Food Policy Advisory Committee. Resident Mobility Advisors will be appointed from communities across the city, and will receive a paid stipend to meet six times a year to discuss mobility challenges in and solutions for their communities. ($6,000)

  • 20 shared mobility corrals will be installed annually based on an evaluation of ridership and equity priorities. These corrals will be installed either on the street or sidewalk, and provide designated parking areas for shared mobility vehicles as well as private bikes or scooters. ($20,000)

  • Existing mobility lanes will be evaluated and improved through resurfacing and patching to provide safer travel surfaces for shared mobility vehicles. ($100,000)

  • Baltimore City Department of Transportation will produce community education materials ($19,000) as well as provide five $2,000 community micro-grants for education and outreach ($10,000)

The refundable performance bond covers anticipated city expenses, including the BPD Special Marine Unit for harbor retrievals, Baltimore City Department of Transportation towing services for improperly parked or damaged/abandoned vehicles, and damage to public property. Any funds not expended on these city services will be refunded to the companies at the end of the permit.

The excise tax of $0.10 per ride goes into the general fund. The Pugh administration committed to restricting these revenues to funding bike infrastructure installation in Baltimore City, however it is unclear if this restriction will be honored given we have a new government.

A hand-up for Bikemore?

Photo by: tbd.bike

Photo by: tbd.bike

If you’ve been to a cyclocross bike race before, you might be familiar with the hand-up tradition — a spectator on the sideline hands something to a passing rider. 

It’s usually a snack, beer, dollar bills, crabs when in Baltimore. It gives the rider a boast, makes them smile or laugh. 

This weekend we’ll be at Charm City Cross, one of the biggest races in the area that happens right here in Druid Hill Park. We’ll of course giving hand-ups, hoots and hollers to our hometown riders.

Because everyone needs that boost from their friends, Bikemore included. 

Can you spare $10 to give Bikemore a boost each month? 


PS. Want to help make Charm City Cross a success? Sign up to volunteer!


Update on Complete Streets

New BCDOT Director Sharkey at his confirmation

New BCDOT Director Sharkey at his confirmation

On October 3, 2019, Baltimore City Department of Transportation was supposed to release for public comment a draft Complete Streets manual. It never happened.

The Baltimore Complete Streets ordinance, enacted in December of last year, contained a robust public outreach requirement that was supposed to begin immediately, engaging community members in a detailed series of public meetings to bring awareness to Complete Streets principles and the creation of a draft manual. Councilman Ryan Dorsey consulted with Bikemore and the Complete Streets Coalition and developed a robust set of community engagement expectations that were delivered in a memo to then Director Michelle Pourciau.

In late April, Director Pourciau resigned after reports of an Office of the Inspector General investigation into her leadership tactics. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Pugh resigned amid the “Healthy Holly” scandal. In the aftermath of these resignations, it became clear that Director Pourciau had not devoted adequate resources to meet the legislative requirements of the Complete Streets ordinance. No significant community outreach had been conducted, and none meeting the expectations of the coalition or Councilman Dorsey had been planned. This seemed almost purposeful, and was a devastating blow to the implementation calendar of a bill that had just been recognized as one of the best Complete Streets initiatives in the country.

Shortly after this news, Acting Mayor Jack Young selected Steve Sharkey, then head of the Department of General Services, to lead Baltimore City Department of Transportation. Director Sharkey was unanimously confirmed by the Baltimore City Council on August 20th. Director Sharkey hit the ground running, immediately meeting with stakeholders on Complete Streets.

By August 29th, at the first meeting of the newly formed City Council Transportation Committee, chaired by Councilman Ryan Dorsey, Baltimore City Department of Transportation publicly agreed that the deadlines for the Complete Streets ordinance would not be met.

As a result, Councilman Dorsey introduced legislation to extend the deadlines of Baltimore Complete Streets, to ensure adequate community outreach is conducted, and conducted to the expectations of the Complete Streets Coalition and city council. The legislation, emergency adopted by the full city council on September 23rd and signed by Mayor Young on October 7th, gives Baltimore City Department of Transportation until October 16th to deliver a community engagement plan to the Land Use Committee for review and comment, and specifies that this plan must incorporate the recommendations set forth in the community engagement expectations originally sent to Director Pourciau.

Each deadline is then reset following this initial revision. Within 90 days, the Complete Streets Advisory Committee must deliver scoping recommendations for the Complete Streets Manual. By April 1, 2020, the Complete Streets Manual must be made available for public comment, and by July 1, 2020 the Complete Streets Manual must be adopted.

An additional clarification was also made in this legislative update: all other components of the Complete Streets ordinance, including the design standards like lane widths, design vehicles, and design speeds, and the prioritization of pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit users over other modes, are immediately law effective this past Monday, October 7th. There should be no more grey area on the law.

While we are disappointed in the decisions of the prior administration which led to this delay, the future is bright. For the first time we have a Council President who supported creation of a Transportation Committee. We have a Transportation Committee Chair who bikes to work, who authored and passed the strongest and most progressive Complete Streets ordinance in the country. We have a Mayor who prioritized signing this legislative extension and who hired a Transportation Director who lives in Baltimore, who bikes to work, who knows how to support his staff and increase morale, and who is honest and transparent about the work ahead of him.

We look forward to working with this team of dedicated and talented elected and appointed officials to deliver a Complete Streets manual worthy of the legislation and coalition that demanded it, even if it will be a few months late.

What has Netflix done for you lately?

Photo by Corey Jennings

Photo by Corey Jennings

Netflix is a bargain. For around $10 a month you get infinite programs at your disposal. Personally, I would pay $10 a month for the Great British Baking Show alone. With that same $10, you could help build more bike lanes in Baltimore. Or help a neighbor get back on a bike for the first time in 20 years. Or elect a Mayor that believes in streets built for people, not just cars.

Our work at Bikemore has always been people powered. The programs we offer and the bike lanes we fight for are made possible because of people like you pitching in what you can. For many folks, a $100 donation is a heavy lift. But setting up a small monthly donation is a way to have a big impact regardless of your budget. 

If 300 of you reading this sign up to give $10 per month,
you’d collectively donate $36,000 a year. 

If you gave $20 per month, we’re up to $72,000 a year. 

That would make monthly donors Bikemore’s largest source of funding. 

Recurring donations lead to financial stability. Regular monthly income means less time spent fundraising and more time spent building a city for people — people like you who deserve safety and dignity when they use the street. 

Can you give $10 a month to make our city a safer place to walk and bike?


+ Make a Monthly Direct Action Donation

Direct Action donations are our greatest need. They can fund everything we do, including directly lobbying elected officials, running grassroots organizing campaigns, and advocating for or against legislation. They are not tax-deductible.


+ Make a monthly Charitable Donation

Charitable donations can only fund our education, organizing, and programming, but may be tax-deductible.


When fixing a flat is a burden

Photo by Graham Coreil-Allen

Photo by Graham Coreil-Allen

According to the Pew Research Center, over 50% of households in the United States already own a bicycle. Building a force for biking in Baltimore requires removing as many barriers to biking as possible. That means making sure people have access to a working bike. 

Every bike will need service and repair from time to time. But if you don’t have a bike shop in your neighborhood, where do you go? Something as simple as changing a flat becomes a burden, and that bike ends up collecting dust. So instead of giving away bikes, we believe the best way to get more people on bikes is to fix the bikes they already have — right in their own neighborhood. 

 In 2016 we hosted our first Mobile Bike Shop. Over the past four years this volunteer led program has grown exponentially, adding new community partners and going to new neighborhoods every year. This spring we were awarded the competitive Catalyst Grant from the City of Baltimore. This grant allowed us to hire a full time staff person to operate the Mobile Bike Shop year round, reach more neighborhoods, and fix more bikes. 

Menelik Yeha joined our team in August. Under his leadership, we have been able to run more Mobile Bike Shops in the past four weeks than that first summer in 2016. Menelik has been a cyclist in Baltimore for 20 years and brings with him his combined passion for transportation and cycling. We are so excited Menelik has joined the team. 

We overcame the barrier to hire a full time staff person. Now we need your help to ensure we can meet the demand and give more people access to a working bike.


$500 = brings the Mobile Bike Shop to a neighborhood without a bike shop
$100 = transports the team and tools to a single event
$50 = fixes five flat tires
$30 = pays a mechanic for two hours

Can you help? Donate today:

Our work is wholly supported by our donors. Help us make Baltimore a better place to ride a bicycle.