A plan in Houston to prohibit vendors from renting motorized scooters on city sidewalks has suppliers of the two-wheel contraptions revved up, and city officials holding the line to have scooters clear the way.
To address what it says are growing issues along sidewalks, especially in the central business district, Houston’s administration and regulatory affairs department plans to ask City Council to amend three codes that would push vendors off public spaces around parks and other gathering spots and move scooters off downtown sidewalks into the streets.
“These vendors at times become a nuisance or even a threat to public safety,” said Maria Irshad, deputy director of the regulatory affairs department and head of ParkHouston, which operates the city’s paid parking and parking enforcement systems.
Rental companies said they have tried to work with the city to develop rules that would allow them to stay, but the city has scooted past that to an outright ban.
Scooter Rules
Houston is seeking public comment on proposed changes to city codes related to restricting rental of scooters within city rights of way. The comment period closes at 5 p.m. on March 15.
Website form: https://www.houstontx.gov/parking/ordinance-amendments-comments.html
“Instead of coming up with a permit for us, like they did with ice cream trucks or the (Houston B-Cycle) bikes, they say we are blocking the right of way,” said Juan Valentine, owner of Glyderz, which started setting up by Discovery Green in May.
The rule changes would outlaw parking a vehicle or trailer on public property for the purposes of renting a good or service, ban the parking of motor-assisted scooters on sidewalks, streets and any rights of way, and outlaw the blocking of any part of a sidewalk that makes it impassable.
“The sidewalk exists for pedestrian use,” Irshad said. “It is not set up for a business.”
Separately, Irshad said officials want to tweak the rule that applies only in the central business district related to sidewalks so scooter riders would have to use the street. Bicycles are banned from downtown sidewalks and only may operate legally in the streets — the proposed change would add language putting scooters on an equal footing and out in the road.
Officials are seeking public comment on the proposed changes until Monday, with the expectation of asking Council to change city codes on March 24.
Fines for vendors would vary, costing up to $500, but three citations could result in police impounding scooters and vehicles used to carry them that violate parking rules. Those riding a scooter on a downtown sidewalk could face a fine of up to $200. Enforcement would be by Houston police.
“It is really unnerving and scary to be on one of the trails along Buffalo Bayou,” District H Council Member Karla Cisneros said. “The scooters fly by, and I think that the scooter mentality is they think they are pedestrians.”
Sidewalk scooters are lined up at Glyderz Houston’s popup location on Crawford, steps from Discovery Green, on March 9, 2021, in Houston.
Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographerScooters already have been stopped in some high-traffic spots, including Discovery Green where many vendors circulate. The park posted large signs telling riders scooters cannot be used on the walkways. The decision was made after zipping riders became troublesome, officials said.
Along Discovery Green and Buffalo Bayou Park, visitors were divided.
“It depends on the person,” said Jacob Leonard, 35, of Houston, as he and his son Quinn, 9, took a break from scooting around on a recent weekend. “Just like cars and bikes, there are people who are safe and people who are not safe.”
Camille Brooks, 26, said she would welcome a total ban.
“They are dangerous,” Brooks said. “People fall off them and hurt themselves, but they also run into people, or dogs… they are not safe.”
Houston avoided some of the squabble over scooters, compared to Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. In other Texas cities, regulations were less clear and opened streets to dockless scooters and bikes. As a result, the cities struggled to contain the ability for riders to ditch the vehicles anywhere or ride them recklessly through many neighborhoods.
Officials in Houston discussed setting some rules in 2017, but never did, reaching agreements with the B-Cycle system to expand. Since 2013, the kiosk-based bike system has grown from three stops in the central business district to 123 spread across downtown, Midtown, the Texas Medical Center and nearby neighborhoods.
A no scooter sign warns riders to stay out of Discovery Green on March 9, 2021, in Houston. Officials, citing safety, restrict riding in the park.
Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographerValentine, who left a lucrative job in the oil and gas industry to open Glyderz after he saw a lack of scooter rental options in downtown Houston, said many of the concerns are overblown.
“I believe we brought something good to the city,” he said. “People come out to experience the city and people have fun.”
Customers rent scooters and return them to the same location. Scooters are powered by a small electric motor, with many models capable of speeds around 20 mph. Valentine said most scooters have a range of around 40 miles before running out of power.
Not all vendors, however, opposed the city rules while reacting cautiously to the city code changes. Randy McCoy, owner of ScootsTx that operates in Midtown and Galveston, told city officials in a letter that he only set up near Discovery Green when other vendors appeared on the street.
“I would not want to limit my scooters just to give street vendors a competitive advantage over me,” McCoy wrote.
Others say they went where the customers wanted them. In less than a year, Glyderz has gone from 20 scooters operating out of a trailer to 100. Valentine is preparing to open a permanent location, but said staying on the street is smart business, especially at his location just off Discovery Green.
“You swing by here at 9 or 10 at night and we have a bunch of people renting scooters,” he said.
He questioned why officials allowed Houston B-Cycle to install kiosks on sidewalks, but will not allow him to park a trailer at nights and operate off the sidewalk.
A variety of businesses can obtain permits for street vending, including food trucks, ice cream vendors and sellers during special events.
Irshad said there are no plans to establish permits for scooter companies.
City officials said few incidents lead to police reports, but the issues are real.
Valentine is not convinced, saying many of the complaints are more rumor and rancor from people who simply do not like the scooters.
“It would suck to get shut down based on assumptions,” he said.
dug.begley@chron.com
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