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LOCATIONS, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER[Dallas, TX City of Dallas Scooter Press Conference ]
WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE, I HAVE THE PLEASURE TODAY OF INTRODUCING DR.GUS CON, CARLY, OUR DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT WE PLEASE HOLD ALL QUESTIONS, UH, UNTIL THE END.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN THE, UH, SHARED DOUGLASS VEHICLE PROGRAM.
WE'RE HERE TO OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE LAUNCH OF THE, UH, UH, PROGRAM AND DISCUSS THE SIGNIFICANT WORK THAT HAS OCCURRED TO MAKE THIS MOMENT POSSIBLE.
THIS RELAUNCH IS THE RESULT OF A DEDICATED EFFORT BY OUR STAFF MEMBERS OF THE MICRO MOBILITY WORKING GROUP AND THE DOCKLESS VEHICLE, UH, OPERATORS.
THE MICRO MOBILITY GROUP CONSISTED OF, UM, AND CONSISTS OF RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES NOMINATED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, COMMITTEE.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN PARTICULAR THE, UH, UH, CO-CHAIRS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO AND COUNCIL MEMBER WEST, AS WELL AS OUR DEPUTY MAYOR PROTE, UH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, NOVA, WHO HELPED TO LEAD THE, UH, AND FACILITATE THIS IMPORTANT GROUP.
UH, THE MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP GAVE UP ALMOST A DOZEN NIGHTS OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF WITH A GOAL OF GUIDING STAFF TO MAKE THIS RELAUNCH AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.
THE OUTCOME OF THESE MEETINGS WAS UPDATES TO TWO SECTIONS OF THE CITY CODE AND THE CREATION OF A NEW PROGRAM RULES.
THE CHANGES WERE INTENDED TO ADDRESS THE CORE ISSUES THAT WERE KEY FACTORS IN THE SUSPENSION OF THE PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO THE CRITICAL CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE AND THE NEW PROGRAM RULES, STAFF HAS SPENT A SIGNIFICANT TIME, UM, WORKING ACROSS FUNCTIONAL, UH, DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES ARE ALIGNED.
WE BELIEVE THIS PROGRAM HAS THE FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESS.
AND NOW I WILL INTRODUCE THE CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TODAY.
THE RELAUNCH HAS BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS RELAUNCH.
THIS EFFORT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND ADDRESSES A GAP IN THE LAST MILE.
MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY, INCREASING ACCESS TO AND USE OF ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION LIKE SCOOTERS AND BICYCLES ARE AS IMPORTANT TO THE CITY.
WE BELIEVE THESE SHARED DOCKLESS VEHICLES FILL AN IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION GAP FOR MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
WE BEGAN A SOFT LAUNCH LAST WEEK WITH THE GOAL OF BEGINNING TO GATHER DATA AND TEST THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT THE OPERATORS HAVE SHOWN FEASIBLE.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE SOME CONCERNS AND SOME CHALLENGES SUCH AS WRITING AFTER THE 9:00 PM CUTOFF AND SIDEWALK RIDING IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
THE OPERATORS ARE FINE TUNING THEIR TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR CITY'S NEEDS.
WE ARE MONITORING THEIR PROGRESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFINEMENTS.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR THE PROGRAM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE OPERATORS ARE RESPONSIBLE AND ENGAGED IN ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AND ISSUES.
I WILL NOW INVITE MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER JESSE MORENO, TO DIS TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE CITY'S GUIDELINES AND PROGRAM RULES, THE FUN STUFF.
I'M EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY AS WE RELAUNCH THE SHARED DOCKLESS VEHICLE PROGRAM HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AS A CO-CHAIR FOR THE MICRO MOBILITY TASK FORCE, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE DISCUSSED THIS THOROUGHLY WITH STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS BUSINESS OWNERS, RESIDENTS ALIKE SHARED DOCKLESS VEHICLES ARE NOVEL SOLUTION TO TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGE.
THAT SAID, THERE ARE GUIDELINES IN THE CITY CODE AND THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED PROGRAM RULES THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THOSE KEY THINGS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE RENTED OR PRIVATELY OWNED SCOOTERS ON SIDEWALKS IN PUBLIC PARKS, PLAZAS, AND MO CITY TRAILS.
PEOPLE SHOULD RIDE ON THE STREETS AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 30 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND FOLLOW THE SAME LAWS AS THEY WOULD DRIVING A VEHICLE.
THE SPEED LIMIT SCOOTERS 20 MILES PER HOUR, HOWEVER, ARE IN CERTAIN SLOW ZONE AREAS IN THE C B D, SUCH AS AREAS AS DEEP ELUM.
WE HAVE BEGUN TO ADDRESS THE PARKING ISSUES
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BY CLARIFYING THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO PARK AND REQUIRING THAT COMPANY'S INSTITUTE REQUIRED IN TRIPP PHOTOS.WRITERS WILL BE FINED IF THEY DO NOT TAKE A PHOTO OR IF THE PHOTO SHOWS THAT THEY DID NOT PARK INCORRECTLY.
WE ARE ALSO REQUIRING THAT THE COMPANIES PROVIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION THROUGH THEIR APPS SO PEOPLE KNOW WHERE IT IS LEGAL AND ILLEGAL TO PARK.
WE HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF OVERCROWDING AND CLUTTER BY ONLY ISSUING PERMITS TO THREE COMPANIES WHO MAY EACH ONLY HAVE 500 VEHICLES IN THE CITY AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AS WITH ANY PROGRAM, WE WILL BE SURE TO BE FACED WITH CHALLENGES AND UNCERTAINTIES, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE FOLLOW THE PROCESS AND HAVE OUR CHECKS AND BALANCE THIS PROGRAM WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
THEREFORE, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO REPORT ANY ISSUES THAT THEY SEE TO THREE 11, EITHER BY PHONE, ONLINE OR THROUGH OUR DALLAS APP.
PHOTOS ARE HELPFUL AS WELL AND ENCOURAGE AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REPRESENTS PARTS OF THE C B D, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A WAY TO GET AROUND OUR CITY AS THEY EXPLORE, COMMUTE, OR GO OUT FOR RECREATION.
HOWEVER, THIS IS TO BE DONE IN A MANNER THAT KEEPS EVERYONE SAFE.
I WILL HAND IT BACK OVER TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH MARKETING TEAM.
WE WILL GO AHEAD AND TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO STATE YOUR NAME, OUTLET AND YOUR QUESTION WHEN YOU ARE, UH, CALLED UPON, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
SPECTRUM, WHAT ARE THE THREE COMPANIES? WHAT THREE COMPANIES WILL THEY DO GU? UM, THEY ARE SUPER PEDESTRIAN, LIME AND BIRD.
YOU WANNA PACK THAT FOR US AND JUST, YOU WANT YEAH.
SO THE, THE GREAT PART IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE TOOK THEM AWAY IS WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO BRING THEM OUT.
AND SO WHEN WE TOOK THEM AWAY AND BANNED THEM FOR THAT AMOUNT OF THAT YEAR AND A HALF, WE GOT TO LOOK AT ALL THE BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
AND ONE OF THOSE BEST PRACTICES THAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I PERSONALLY GOT TO WITNESS AND SEVERAL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE MICRO MOBILITY WORKING GROUP, WHETHER OR STAFF OR EVEN OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THAT IN OTHER CITIES, WHEN YOU PARK IT, AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS HAPPENED TO ME IN AUSTIN JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHEN YOU PARK YOUR SCOOTER, UM, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO TAKE A PICTURE BEFORE YOU'RE DONE BEING, UM, BEFORE YOU'RE DONE PAYING FOR YOUR SCOOTER.
AND SO I HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE SHOW THAT I PARKED IT IN A, UM, LEGAL AREA, UH, ON THEIR SIDEWALK, AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THE, UM, SCOOTER THAT I HAD COMPLETED THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO DO IT.
SO BY DOING THE PICTURE, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER BEST PRACTICE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, PUT IN.
AND IT'S A TECHNOLOGY THAT ALL THE SCOOTER COMPANIES NOW HAVE, I GUESS THAT WASN'T DONE.
THE, THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD SCOOTERS AROUND, WE HAD VERY LITTLE, LITTLE TO NO REGULATIONS WHATSOEVER, AND A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY DIDN'T EXIST LIKE GEOFENCING.
UM, SO I GIVE ANOTHER PERFECT EXAMPLE.
WHEN WE WENT TO DC, UM, NOT THIS PAST MARCH, BUT THE YEAR AGO MARCH, UM, AND I WAS RIDING A SCOOTER AROUND AND I NOTICED THAT THEY WERE SLOWING DOWN AND STOPPING THE SCOOTERS.
WHEN YOU GOT INTO NATIONAL PARKS, WHEN YOU GOT INTO WHERE THE, UM, LIKE I WAS AT THE, UM, MLK MEMORIAL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED HEARING PEOPLE TALKING AND FROM THERE I WAS ABLE TO ASK FOLKS EXACTLY LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR SCOOTER? WHY DID IT STOP? AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, CAUSE I'M IN A NATIONAL PARK, THE SCOOTER ISN'T ALLOWED IN THERE.
AND SO THEY, YOU CAN STILL WALK WITH YOUR SCOOTER THROUGH IT.
AND MOST NATIONAL PARKS ARE PRETTY SMALL.
SO THE SAME THING WITH OUR, UM, CITIES.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE RIDING THEM INSIDE OF PARKS BECAUSE IT, IT WOULD END THE ENJOYMENT OF THE, THE PARK GOER, BUT YOU CAN STILL KEEP YOUR SCOOTER.
YOU CAN WALK IT THROUGH JUST LIKE YOU WOULD A BICYCLE OR ANY OTHER, A STROLLER OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND YOU CAN STILL TAKE YOUR SCOOTER AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DONE WALKING THROUGH THAT PARK, YOU'RE ABLE TO, IT'LL TURN RIGHT BACK ON AND, UH, TAKE YOU WHEREVER YOU'RE NEEDING TO GO.
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, I GUESS SINCE THE, CAN YOU WALK THROUGH THAT? HOW DID YOU GUYS COME TO THOSE FIRMS WITH THE DATA, WITH THE RESEARCH? SURE.
AFTER THE BAN, WHAT HAPPENED WAS I BECAME CHAIR OF TRANSPORTATION IN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, THANKS TO MAYOR ERIC JOHNSON.
AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS
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THAT WE KNEW WE HAD TO BRING BACK WAS SCOOTERS, BUT WE NEEDED TO DO IT IN AN EQUITABLE WAY AND A FAIR WAY.AND THAT'S WHEN I CREATED THE MICRO MOBILITY TASK FORCE.
AND JESSE MORENO, OUR, MY COLLEAGUE IS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
AND SO I APPOINTED HE AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER CHAD WEST, WHO'S NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, UM, THAT WERE VERY INFLUENTIAL IN HELPING INFORM THIS AND THEN MADE SURE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE HAD APPOINTED MEMBERS FROM THEIR DISTRICTS OR WHOMEVER THEY WANTED TO APPOINT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO WORK ON THE ISSUES THAT THEY WERE FACING.
BECAUSE DALLAS SITES ARE GONNA REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE HAD 'EM HERE.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, IT WAS PRETTY SCARY.
WE HAD SCOOTERS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THEY WERE, THEY LOOKED LIKE LITTER AND THEY WERE IN TREES, THEY WERE CUT IN HALF, THEY WERE THROWN IN RIVERS.
AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS, OF COURSE, ARE ONLY GONNA REMEMBER THEM BEING CLUTTERED IN FRONT OF THEIR DOOR FRONTS.
UM, IF YOU WERE A RESIDENT IN THAT AREA, UM, AND YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH OR YOU'RE TRYING TO WALK UP AND DOWN A SIDEWALK AND SCOOTERS ARE GOING UP AND DOWN, THERE WAS CRIME.
AND SO WE HAD OUR POLICE LIAISON AS WELL AS THESE MICRO MOBILITY CREW, WHICH WERE MADE UP OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE INCLUDING INCOMING COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, KATHY STEWART WAS A MEMBER OF THERE AS SHE WAS REPRESENTING UPTOWN.
AND SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO BRING ALL OF THOSE FORCES TOGETHER.
THEY SPENT OVER A DOZEN DIFFERENT DAYS LITERALLY WORKING ON IT, DETAIL BY DETAIL, GOING THROUGH EVERY SINGLE WORD OF, OF THE DOCUMENT.
AND I COULDN'T TELL YOU ON THOSE LAST DAYS, UM, THERE WAS WORDS STILL BEING CHANGED, WORDSMITH, AND THEN WE TOOK IT TO THE SCOOTER COMPANIES.
AND THE REASON THAT WE LEFT THE SCOOTER COMPANIES OUT IS BECAUSE WE KNEW THEY WOULD BE LOBBYING FOR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WEREN'T EXACTLY DALLASITE FRIENDLY OR WHAT DALLASITE WOULD WANT.
AND BY DOING THIS THE WAY WE DID IT, WE CAME UP WITH WHAT WE THINK IS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY TO BRING THEM BACK.
AND AS WE KEEP GOING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE DATA LOOKING AT, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DATA TO SEE IF, DO WE NEED MORE? DO WE NEED ANOTHER COMPANY? DO WE NEED, UM, TO INCREASE SPEED LIMITS? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? BUT BY BRINGING THEM IN SLOW AND EASY, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO REALLY MONITOR AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, UM, BE ABLE TO ENFORCE OUR REGULATIONS WHERE WHEN WE HAD 30,000 OF THEM AT ONE POINT, UM, THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
AND SO I THINK WE DID THE BEST THING WE WERE ABLE TO DO.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE SCOOTER COMPANIES ADHERING TO THE RULES, THE REGULATIONS AS WELL AS OUR VISITORS AND OUR RESIDENTS, UM, ADHERING TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS SO THAT IF WE NEED MORE WE CAN EXPAND TO HAVE MORE.
AND UM, THAT WAY WE ALSO DON'T HAVE THE LITTER SCAPE THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST.
CAN YOU GIMME A CHALLENGE TO GET RID OF THE THOUGH, OR WAS IT, WAS THERE ANY PROMOTION BEHIND THAT OR, CAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST AND I I'M SURE IT COULD GO AWAY.
I'M, I THINK THAT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A STIGMA LEFT WITH THE SCOOTERS CUZ AGAIN, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU ONLY REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THEY WERE HERE.
BUT, UM, IN THIS PAST WEEK, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, PERSONALLY I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ONE SINGLE COMPLAINT IN THIS ONE WEEK OF A PRE-LAUNCH.
AND THEY'RE ALL OUT, ALL 1500 SCOOTERS ARE OUT WHERE, UM, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE COUNCIL BACK IN 2017 AND WE STARTED GETTING BICYCLES, EVERYBODY THOUGHT THEY WERE CUTE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, A YEAR LATER WE HAD, YOU KNOW, 8,000, 10,000 AND 30,000, MY PHONE WAS RINGING OFF THE HOOK LEFT AND RIGHT.
UM, EVERYWHERE I WENT, WE WERE THE ENEMY BECAUSE THE SCOOTERS HAD JUST TAKEN OVER.
AND I COULD TELL YOU THAT IN THIS ONE WEEK, I THINK THAT, UM, WITH THE EDUCATION PEOPLE SEEING HOW IT'S WORKING, HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE LIKE THIS, WE'LL GET MORE INFORMATION OUT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE ONE THING THAT THE CBD AND DEEP ELM AND THOSE OTHER AREAS ARE MOST, UM, EXCITED ABOUT AND HAPPY ABOUT IS THAT WITH THE GEOFENCING, NOT BEING ABLE TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALKS IS A HUGE, HUGE, UM, WIN FOR OUR PEDESTRIANS HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS BECAUSE THESE ARE MOTORIZED VEHICLES.
AND THE OTHER THING IS MAKING SURE THEY'RE NOT IN PARKS WITH THE GEOFENCING.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL SEE ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
THEY DON'T BELONG IN PARKS BEING RIDDEN.
AND OUR OWN CITY ORDINANCES SAY YOU CANNOT HAVE MOTORIZED VEHICLES INSIDE OF CITY PARKS AND TRAILS.
SO A SCOOTER IS A MOTORIZED VEHICLE AND SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RIDE ON THE STREET, THAT'S WHERE IT BELONGS.
AND WE DO ALLOW FOR SOME PARKING ON SOME SIDEWALKS AND SOME AREAS IN ORDER FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR BUSINESS OWNERS TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, UM, AND MAKING SURE THIS HAPPENS.
AND WE HAVE CERTAIN AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CBD, WHERE YOU HAVE TO DROP THESE OFF SO THAT YOU'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ALL GETTING STORED IN FRONT OF THE SAME EXACT LOCATION.
CUZ THAT WAS ANOTHER PROBLEM IS IF YOU'RE WALKING OUTTA YOUR BUSINESS OR TRYING TO GET INTO YOUR BUSINESS AND YOU GOT 40 SCOOTERS LAYING ACROSS YOUR DOORSTEP, THAT'S BAD FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT WE ALSO PUT IN LIMITS OF HOW MANY SCOOTERS CAN BE AT A CERTAIN POSITION AT ONE GIVEN TIME.
SO THE SCOOTER COMPANIES DO HAVE TO COME IF THEY GET OVER A CERTAIN LIMIT AND MOVE CERTAIN ONES INTO ANOTHER AREA SO THAT THEY DON'T ALL GET PILED INTO THE SAME AREA.
WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION, AND IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE
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TO ASK A QUESTION, UH, PLEASE DIRECT IT TO MEDIA@DALLAS.GOV AND WE WILL GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU.YEAH, WE, YES, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
YOU HAVE NOT HAD A QUESTION YET.
DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANNA YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVE PLANS, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE, UH, CORE AREAS AND WE'RE FINALIZING THE, UH, UH, BIKE PLAN AND THAT WILL BE UPDATED AND, UM, IN THOSE AREAS THERE WILL BE, UM, UH, SOME OF THE LOCATIONS WILL HAVE DEDICATED BIKE, PLANE, UM, UH, UH, AREAS WHERE THE SCOOTERS CAN USE THOSE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BIKES.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR, FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
LIKE I SAID, IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO ASK A QUESTION, UH, PLEASE EMAIL THOSE QUESTIONS TO MEDIA DALLAS.GOV.