E-Scooters Could Soon Be Rolling Around Fort Collins

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4)- The City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University are working together to establish what e-scooters will look like in their city and on the CSU campus. The alternative mode of transportation is expected to be a big hit with the younger generation.

Last year, hundreds of e-scooters appeared on Denver's streets and few rules or regulations were in place to control their placement and use. This created confusion for riders and frustration from the city planners.

Amanda Mansfield,Transportation Planner for the City of Fort Collins, says the e-scooter companies reached out to them before dropping them on the streets. She says that means instead of fear and confusion people can get excited about this new alternative mode of transportation.

"As long as you have those regulations in place around safety and where they can park and where they can operate so we can minimize negative interactions between scooters and peds and vehicles, I think it can be a really great partnership," said Mansfield.

Mansfield says their summary of proposed regulations still needs city council approval, but if they get the go-ahead the first we'd see of the e-scooters would be sometime this summer.

In a release Mansfield said possible policy framework highlights include:

• Vendor will ensure that e-scooters operate at a maximum speed of 15 mph.
• Vendor will ensure that e-scooters are parked only in approved areas: in the sidewalk furniture zone (the section of the sidewalk between the curb and the through zone), beside a bicycle rack not obstructing the pedestrian walkway, or in designated e-scooter parking areas.
• Vendor will provide innovative technological tools, strategies, and methodologies to educate users on how to safely operate the device, encourage parking compliance and keep sidewalks free of device clutter.
• Users will be expected to dismount and walk their scooters at signed dismount areas in Old Town and at CSU.
• Helmet use by riders, while not required by law, will be strongly encouraged.

The first reading is scheduled for the Fort Collins City Council meeting on Feb. 19.