As electric dockless scooters have become more popular in the City of Alexandria, neighboring Fairfax County has found itself needing to regular the mobility devices, too.
In late November, Fairfax County approved regulations for shared mobility devices that will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. The Department of Cable and Consumer Services will regulate the scooters and the operating companies through permitting.
For scooter riders, here are the regulations:
- Scooters can be used anywhere (sidewalk, shared-used path, roadway, etc.), but they cannot travel more than 10 mph.
- Riders must leave scooters in areas that do not impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
- Residents who see scooters inappropriately parked should contact the scooter company, which will have to remove it.
Each scooter company can have up to 300 devices in Fairfax County, and that may increase to up to 600 if usage demands it (with the County’s permission).
Fairfax County staff will create a process for complaints for residents and plans to release a report in early 2021 on the first year of regulated “shared mobility devices.”
In the meantime, residents may report any issues or concerns to consumer@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The City of Alexandria is entering its second year of shared mobility device regulation and has made some adjustments in response to consumer concerns, including more stringent parking requirements, limits on where scooters may be ridden and speed limits of 15 mph. (Read more here.)
