Have you ever gotten off the Metro only to realize you still have a mile or more to go until you reach your destination? It’s not really far enough to justify calling an Uber, but if it’s a hot summer day, walking may be asking too much. So what to do? Well, you could scooter.
At least that is the hope of Bird and Lime, two dockless mobility companies that are currently pushing scooters as the next mode of transportation to be available to Arlington residents.
Over the last couple of weeks you may have already seen some Arlingtonians zipping around Clarendon or Crystal City on scooters. Bird, which already operates in D.C., placed a number of scooters around Arlington on June 24, becoming the first company to do so. Using the Bird app, interested riders can see if scooters are available near them and follow the instructions on how to operate, park and pay for the ride.
Bird and Lime, which still only serves the District but held a Demo Day for its electric scooters with Crystal City BID during a recent Food Truck Thursday event, describes themselves as a “last mile” option: when something is just too far to walk, but too short to drive. The electric scooters that each company offers max out at 15 mph and are meant to be driven in bike lanes.
Both companies have been in operation since 2017 and are available in a number of cities across the country. However, their emergence has not been without controversy.
Bird in particular has had some push back from cities where it has made its scooters available. San Francisco and Denver have banned electric scooter sharing until new regulation is passed; some have documented the dangers of scooters being operated by pedestrians on roads; while other cities have reportedly pushed back at Bird for delivering scooters to their streets without the proper permits. Northern Virginia Magazine reached out to Bird to discuss these claims, but has not received comment.
Arlington County has taken its own action, announcing that it is developing a pilot demonstration to evaluate the overall performance and impact of dockless solutions in the area. The specific focus will be determined over the next couple of months, but could include safety and functionality of sidewalks and the safety, convenience and comfort of community members, Jim Larsen, Arlington’s Commuter Services bureau chief, said via email.
An official proposal will be presented to the County Manager and County Board for approval in September, with the expectation that the pilot program will begin in October.
Per Larsen, Bird will be able to continue operating in the county in the interim, but is expected to join the pilot demonstration if and when it is approved. Larsen also said that Arlington is encouraging other companies not to offer dockless services until the demonstration project is authorized, and that any company that wants to provide these services is expected to participate in the demonstration.
Meanwhile, Arlington’s Transportation Department has provided a set of Q&As on its website to educate residents about dockless scooters and bikes.
Lime’s Washington, D.C. General Manager Jason Starr also provided a statement: “We are in regular communication with Arlington County, and are working cooperatively with them to create an environment that allows us to serve county residents with a full range of smart mobility products.”
Crystal City BID believes that dockless mobility solutions like scooters are necessary for Arlington to keep up with growing trends.
“The emergence of dockless mobility solutions is not going to stop,” says Robert Mandle, chief operating officer for Crystal City BID. “If we want to be competitive and we want to be innovative and we want to attract talent, we have to provide the mobility solutions that our competitors are providing,” referring to places like the District.
