Citing safety concerns, Texas Bill SB459 could potentially create new restrictions for the rentable electric scooters that have blown up in popularity over the last 2 years. View full text for the new electric scooter bill. Texas is currently in its 86th Legislature, which will run until May 27th, 2019.
New Laws for Electric Scooters?
There are currently few regulations for the motor scooters running rampant on Austin streets. Companies like Lime and Bird allow you to pick up an electric scooter sitting around for a small fee and leave it somewhere when you’re done. They have created a convenient, cheap way to get around, but these micro-mobility companies are now facing regulatory crackdowns from city governments.
Reckless scooter driving may endanger pedestrians on the sidewalks, and scooters often litter walkways and pedestrian paths. Blocked sidewalks not only present a tripping hazard, but may block people using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility devices from being able to pass at all.
Where Did Electric Scooters Come From?
Bird was launched in 2017 in Santa Monica, California and in just one year transported 2 million riders in over 100 cities. Lime had started as a bike-share company before going into the electric scooter business, but is now also located in more than 100 U.S. cities and 27 cities internationally. Lime has also since partnered with Uber to offer Lime scooters within the app.
During SXSW this year, you may have noticed large golf carts driven by police officers loaded down with these electric scooters. Some major Austin streets, such as 6th Street, were marked as strictly “pedestrian zones,” meaning bicycles had to be walked and electric scooters were banned. Such zones for events were a sort of early step in attempting to regulate scooter use, as it is difficult to keep up with something that grows so quickly. From April 2018 to SXSW 2019, Austin went from just over 700 scooters to well over 8,000.
What Does SB 549 Do?
The potential new law was just passed by the Texas Senate and is waiting approval baby the Texas House of Representatives. As a law, it would place many new restrictions on the use of electric scooters, which include:
- banning electric scooters from the sidewalks
- riders must be at least 16 years old
- riders must have a valid driver’s license
- scooters cannot be parked in a “manner that obstructs a roadway, path, or sidewalk”
- prohibits more than one rider on a scooter at a time
- limits scooter speed to 15mph
This raises questions about where scooters fit into Austin’s transportation system. While banning scooters from sidewalks is safer for pedestrians, it’s not necessarily safer for the scooter drivers. Many parts of Austin don’t have bike lanes or appropriate space in the road for scooters, potentially putting scooter riders in danger of being hit by a car.
The bill makes an exception to allow scooters on roadways where the top speed is 30mph or less, but there is no space given to areas where there are no established bike lanes and the top speed is over 30mph. In some areas, the concrete is cracked and full of potholes deep enough to shock cars, to say nothing of small scooters going at top speed.
Law Is Open To New Restrictions
The bill has an open ending and details how individual counties or municipalities can in add to the law, including new or further restrictions to:
- lower the top speed for motor scooters
- increase the minimum age requirement
- raise penalties for violating the rules
- further restrict locations where scooters can be operated and parked
- or require helmets
Thank you for reading the legal news blog of The Law Office of Gabriella Young. We are an Austin, Travis County, and Williamson County criminal defense law firm, covering personal injury, DWI, and and our jail release assistance is available 24/7. We are dedicated to our clients and their futures, and will handle your case with compassion and dedication!