Feel like you're caught in a frenzy of dockless bike- and scooter-share news? Us too. In Dockless Digest, Smart Cities Dive will round up the most important (and sometimes bizarre) news and trends affecting the dockless phenomenon to keep you up-to-date.
Is something happening in your city that didn't make the list this week? Shoot us an email at [email protected].
Dallas man dies after scooter accident
A man in Dallas died early this week after an accident while riding a dockless scooter, according to CBS DFW and others.
Jacoby Stoneking, 24, reportedly fell off the scooter at 2:30 a.m. last Sunday, then died from his injuries in the hospital. The scooter he was riding was found broken in half about 100 yards away, with questions still surrounding whether a car was involved in the crash.
Lime expands to Baltimore and Spokane, WA
Lime has brought its bike and scooters to Spokane, WA and added electric scooters to the streets of Baltimore.
Technical.ly reports that Lime dropped a second crop of scooters on Labor Day weekend in Baltimore, joining Bird. The city’s pilot program allows the two companies to operate.
Meanwhile, Spokane launched a two-month pilot program with Lime, according to KHQ and others. The pilot kicked off Sept. 4, and will feature bikes and scooters.
Ran into a pair of lime scooters before seeing a @limebike in Spokane! Catch me in the streets doing tailwhips. ???????? pic.twitter.com/DVtEZ1IpNS
— Alyssa Charlston (@Alyssacharlston) September 5, 2018
Virginia cities clip Bird’s wings
Bird has tried to drop its scooters in two Virginia cities recently — with varying degrees of success — in Richmond and Norfolk.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the city sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bird, after the scooters began appearing on its streets last month. The city has impounded some of the scooters and is expected to debate regulations soon.
In Norfolk, The Virginian-Pilot reports Bird has twice dropped its scooters on city streets but seen them impounded by workers almost as soon as they arrive. A city spokesman told the publication the scooters will be “locked and stored until we can work with the company on a solution.”
Miami considering rules for dockless companies
Months after removing dockless companies from its streets, Miami could be set for new regulations that would allow their return, according to the Miami Herald.
Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell submitted draft legislation providing for a one-year pilot program in his district, with a maximum of 50 scooters per company for the first two weeks and the ability to add another 50, but no bikes.
The plan gets a first reading in City Hall next week.
And finally…
Comedian Jim Carrey made quite the entrance on Thursday night’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as he arrived at the studio in Los Angeles riding a Bird dockless scooter.
Video shows Carrey riding Bird — which was just permitted to operate legally in the city along with other providers — through the city streets, shaving and jumping through a doughnut hole. The video also shows him blowing through a four-way stop and “interrupting” confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. He then gives the scooter to a member of the audience, who rides it outside the studio and appears to be hit by a bus.
"I love it. You can pick 'em up anywhere, and just drop them wherever you need to," Carrey said.
