City Councilman Steve Kornell was the lone no vote in St. Petersburg’s 6-1 decision to move forward with implementing an e-scooter pilot program by 2020.
Kornell had concerns about riders being next to cars since the language in a St. Pete city ordinance prohibits e-scooters from interfering with pedestrians in certain areas, according to the TBBJ.
According to the council agenda, the use of e-scooters and other “privately owned motorized scooters” will not be allowed on the North Bay Trail from Demen’s Landing to Coffee Pot Bayou and on the Pinellas Trail west of 34th Street.
“In the municipal pier district, micromobility devices and privately owned scooters shall be limited to the vehicular roadway only,” the agenda said. The language also says that all motorized scooters will have a 15 MPH speed limit and that no one under the age of 16 years old will be allowed to operate one within the city.
St. Petersburg’s Transportation and Parking Management Director Evan Mory said that he expects two to three vendors to apply when the city submits its request for proposals.
A public hearing and second reading is scheduled for October 17.
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This article appears in Oct 3-10, 2019.
