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The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

DDOT To Install Designated Scooter Corrals

The District Department of Transportation is in the process of constructing 100 electric scooter parking corrals around Washington, D.C., after legislators and residents complained the scooters obstructed sidewalks.

An off-sidewalk corral has been installed in the Georgetown area at the intersection of M and Thomas Jefferson Streets NW. DDOT is planning to install additional corrals at 33rd and M Streets NW and 26th and P Streets NW by spring 2020, according to DDOT Public Information Officer Lauren Stephens. Personal vehicles like bicycles can also be parked in the spaces. 

The corrals will prevent parked scooters and bikes from interfering with pedestrian traffic, according to DDOT Director Jeff Marootian. 

CLARA GRUDBERG FOR THE HOYA | DDOT is in the process of installing off-sidewalk electronic scooter corrals, with the closest to Georgetown’s campus at M and Thomas Jefferson streets

“These off-sidewalk corrals provide a designated area where both shared dockless vehicle operators and riders and private vehicle riders can safely store their vehicles,” Marootian wrote in a Jan. 24 DDOT news release. “By placing these corrals in no-parking zones near intersections, we are fulfilling Mayor Bowser’s vision of creative problem solving to make our streets safer for all users.”

Scooter sharing platforms must be regulated because of routine carelessness from riders, according to Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), who introduced a bill in the D.C. Council calling for increased regulation of scooter parking locations in June 2019.

“Many scooter users weave in and out of pedestrians on the sidewalk at high speeds, do not follow important safety rules, ride while inebriated, and routinely discard scooters that block pedestrian walkways, private driveways, and handicap accessible ramps,” Cheh said at a Nov. 4 hearing on the bill. “Users have also been seen riding with two people on a single scooter, which is both against the rules and extremely dangerous. This bad behavior is not just dangerous to the user, but to the public at large as well.” 

To address pedestrian concerns, DDOT chose locations to install the scooter corrals based on commercial foot traffic and community feedback, according to the news release. 

“The off-sidewalk corrals were first piloted in business improvement districts and commercial areas where higher numbers of dockless vehicles were expected to be parked,” the statement read. “The new locations focus on residential areas where sidewalks are narrower and more likely to be blocked by an improperly parked dockless vehicle, based on feedback DDOT received from residents.”

Electric personal vehicles like scooters and bikes have rapidly increased in popularity since they were introduced in the District in spring 2018. About one in six D.C. residents used an e-scooter in the past year, according to a June 2019 poll conducted by The Washington Post. In October 2019, DDOT announced plans to allow e-scooter services to expand their fleets, bringing the amount of scooters deployed in the D.C. area to approximately 10,000. 

The move to expand e-scooter operations, however, has been delayed by a DDOT plan to allow only four e-scooter sharing companies to operate in the District: Jump, Lyft, Skip and Spin. Until March 31, all licensed companies will be allowed to operate. After, DDOT will make their selection and the planned fleet expansion will begin. 

The expansion of e-scooters in the District should address public desire for more vehicles without inconveniencing pedestrians, according to Marootian. 

“We have listened closely to the public on this,” Marootian said to The Washington Post. “We have heard from users of bikes and scooters who want to see more of them, and we have also heard from members of the community who support the program and want to see it managed in a way that has less scooters placed in public rights of way.”

E-scooters are a positive addition to transportation options in the District, but require greater oversight and regulation, according to Cheh.  

“It’s a wonderful thing to have the scooters,” Cheh said to The Washington Post. “But it’s a little bit like the Wild West at the moment.”

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  • K

    KERRY WASHINGTONJan 18, 2021 at 8:22 am

    Is electric scooter legal on Washington?

    Reply
  • G

    George PolingApr 27, 2020 at 2:54 am

    Hello Clara,
    This was an amazing article, Really helpful for beginner.
    I have a question, Is electric scooters is legal in DC?

    Thanks

    Reply