Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Panel supports e-bike, scooter pilot program
Proposal for Spin vehicles sent on to full council in Springdale
SPRINGDALE — Springdale residents may soon have an alternative way to get around town if the City Council approves a pilot program to allow electric bikes and scooters to operate in the city.
The council, meeting as a committee on Monday, reviewed a proposed ordinance amendment that will allow the city to set up a 12-month pilot program with Spin to provide 100 electric vehicles for the program initially.
“Spin will deploy an initial fleet of 100 devices over the course of the first two weeks of the pilot program,” the company said in a memorandum to the city. “The devices will initially be deployed to help guide device distribution based on user demand and usage trends.”
The aldermen voted to send the amendment to the full City Council with a recommendation that it be approved.
Patsy Christie, the city’s planning director, told the council the city has been approached by a number of companies interested in starting an e-bike or electric scooter business in Springdale, but the city’s existing ordinances don’t specifically provide for them.
“We think it’s time,” Christie said.
The service will initially be limited to the downtown area for the scooters, with the e-bikes restricted to the city limits. The company has a geo-tracking feature that will automatically shut down the devices if they go beyond the designated areas. The company will begin with 50 e-bikes and 50 electric scooters.
The proposed ordinance will allow the scooters and bikes to “utilize City Right of Way in order to provide micro-mobility services within the City. For purposes of this Agreement, the term Right of Way refers to sidewalks, roads, and other pathways owned and maintained by the City. City hereby grants Spin the exclusive right to operate a pilot micro-mobility program for a term of 12 months. Upon conclusion of the initial 12 months, such pilot program shall renew for another 12 month period unless terminated in writing by one or both parties.”
According to the proposed ordinance, it will be unlawful for any person to park or leave a shared small vehicle on public property where such shared small vehicle blocks pedestrian
travel or presents a traffic hazard. It will be unlawful for any person to park or leave a shared small vehicle in the area adjacent to, within or in any manner that obstructs the following areas: loading zones, disabled parking zones, curb ramps, driveways and driveway approaches, motor vehicle driving lanes or bicycle lanes, benches, entrances to private property or driveways.
Under the ordinance it is unlawful for any person to park or leave a shared small vehicle in any manner which impedes or interferes with the access to or from any building.
Mayor Doug Sprouse said the pilot program gives the city time to see if there is enough demand for the services to have them operating in Springdale.
“This is an opportunity to try something at no risk to us,” Sprouse said.
A similar program has been operating and growing in Fayetteville since 2018. According to information from Dane Eifling, mobility coordinator for the city of Fayetteville, the city started with 250 scooters about four years ago. However, in 2023 the city approved scooter companies Spin and Veo permits to expand to 1,350 scooters combined.
Also Monday, the council discussed putting up signs in the city aimed at reducing complaints about people “panhandling” on street corners. Sprouse said he saw that Fort Smith had put up signs encouraging motorists to donate to local nonprofit organizations instead.
Sprouse said the city regularly receives complaints about people holding signs asking for money but the courts have ruled that conduct is protected as free speech. He said the signs he envisions will have a QR code or other information to link people who want to help with local organizations that are working to alleviate homelessness. The city would not be directly involved with the donation process, he said.
“We would be a conduit for a list of resources,” Sprouse said. “People can know they’re giving their money to an organization that will help.”
The aldermen agreed to proceed with the idea, and Sprouse said he would work with the city’s Street Department to make up some signs and bring the ideas back to the City Council within a few weeks. Sprouse said the city will have to work with the Arkansas Department of Transportation to obtain permission to set up the signs in highway rights-of-way at intersections where city streets are also state highways.