This issues has not been heard at TWIC in the past.
Referral Status:
As indicated in the earlier agenda item, "DRAFT 2018 Transportation, Water, and Infrastructure Committee Referrals", this issue is not yet an explicit referral to TWIC although it touches on other items under the committees purview (transportation, Iron Horse corridor, etc). However, the Committee may wish to defer discussion and action until such a time as the Board of Supervisors has formally referred this specific item to TWIC.
The issue is being brought to TWIC in this expedited manner given the rapid growth of the dockless systems. Initial research has shown that numerous jurisdictions have agreements and policies in place to address issues related to these programs, County staff would like to make some progress on this issue as soon as possible.
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As indicated above, this is a new issue for the Committee and the County. Staff began receiving calls regarding bikes being "abandoned" with questions regarding what our response and/or policy is. Staff quickly learned that these abandoned bikes were dockless bikeshare equipment and only had the appearance of being abandoned.
We are currently in an information gathering phase. Staff has compiled information from municipalities and other agencies that have experience with these systems. We have also contacted LimeBike, requested information from them (included below and attached), and made them aware of the Committee meeting.
The following is the compilation of information gathered thus far:
City of Alameda: Agreement is attached.
City of Walnut Creek: The Chamber of Commerce agreement is attached. In addition, Walnut Creek staff shared some of the steps they have taken to address the situation:
Steps taken
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Shared our agreement with LimeBike with interested residents (it was originally adopted as a License Agreement at a City Council meeting)
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Worked with the Shadeland Property Business Improvement District (PBID) managing the Business Park to get city representation to their launch event and to keep up with their shared informational materials
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Posted information about LimeBike on our social media channels and in city newsletters like the City Manager’s Update
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Visited the Transportation Commission to provide an outline of the program to commissioners
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Shared talking points and information internally with planners, code enforcement officers, members of our working group on parking, and executive team
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Kept a log of all inbound resident comments about the program
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Done a staff ridearound to observe bike distribution so far and interviewed a few users
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Had a few conversations with LimeBike to follow up on specific support cases, and gotten an initial set of ridership data from them
Future Steps:
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Create a central email for feedback
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Host meet-and-greet informational sessions for community members and our downtown businesses
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Share out some ridership data with the community
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Host an internal q&a with city staff, some of whom (like the police department) already have procedures for how to handle bikeshare questions and some of whom have not yet encountered them
City of Seattle: In contrast to other municipalities, Seattle has adopted generic policies (Attached: Seattle Bike Share Permit Requirements - June 2017) that we assume apply to all vendors that subsequently enter in to a specific agreement with the City.
BART: As of February 2018 BART does not have any policies regarding dockless bike share on BART Property. They are however in the process of developing an agreement that will stipulate, among other things, insurance requirements, designated parking areas, and response mechanisms to address abandoned bikes.
National Association of City Transportation Officials: NACTO is a national leader in progressive transportation policies. The attached is a brief posting on their website highlighting some of the problems with dockless bike share ("rogue bike share") and providing some guidance which is summarized below:
- A cohesive network of safe, routinely-maintained, street-legal bikes and other reliable, high quality equipment.
- Enforceable commitments to good, equitable system coverage, service quality, safe operating practices, and data sharing.
- Upfront and extensive coordination with local government for transportation planning purposes and to establish principles for the safe use of public space, especially in ways that limit encroachment on the already-scant space available to pedestrians and cyclists.
- Clear rules for bike rebalancing and the speedy removal and/or repair of dangerous, broken, and abandoned bikes and equipment.
- Ongoing collaboration with cities and other stakeholders to ensure connections to transit, as well as programming that increases access for people in all racial and socio-economic groups such as progressive pricing, hiring commitments, and safety and engagement efforts.
LimeBike: Staff contacted Limebike requesting information and making them aware of the March TWIC meeting. The following information was provided response and is attached to this report:
Helping Communities Grow Smart Mobility Presentation
Hello, I'm LimeBike overview document
After this information gathering phase, staff intends on compiling best practices and returning to the Committee with a process and schedule. |