Electric scooters banned in Short North
Were used recklessly and during armed robberies
Columbus has banned electric scooters along North High Street in the Short North after reports of riders using them recklessly and during armed robberies in an area that has seen an increase in violence this year.
The city banned scooters along High Street between Fifth Avenue and Goodale Street beginning at 5 p.m. “to assist the Division of Police in curbing crime and heightening safety and security in the district,” according to a letter from Kelly Scocco, deputy director of Columbus Department of Public Service, to Betsy Pandora, the executive director of the Short North Alliance.
“The Short North Arts District and its local businesses thrive when residents, visitors and employees feel safe and secure while in the vibrant urban neighborhood,” the letter reads. “The unacceptable increase in violent crime occurring in the Short North is being emphatically addressed by the city of Columbus using various measures and in partnership with the Short North Alliance.”
Glenn Mcentyre,spokesman for the city’s Department of Public Safety, said scooters have been used in the commission of crimes, including armed robbers rolling up on victims walking down the streets of the Short North and elsewhere.
Mcentyre also said that despite re
peated efforts to educate the public about appropriate and safe use, riders continue to engage in what he called dangerous and illegal behavior, including drinking alcohol and driving the escooters.
“In such a densely-packed neighborhood with high vehicle and pedestrian traffic, illegal use of scooters has created a safety risk to the public,” he said.
In an interview Tuesday, Scocco said that e-scooter riders have run into and injured pedestrians, and hit cars on High Street.
“It’s a safety issue,” Scocco said. “It’s one of the most densely populated environments in the city.”
The e-scooter ban along High Street is indefinite, Scocco said. It does not extend to Short North streets beyond High Street, she said, nor does the city plan to extend scooter bans to other neighborhoods.
The Short North has seen a violent summer, including four people shot during the last weekend of July.
Just before 3 a.m. on Sept. 12, police were called to the intersection of 4th and High streets in the Short North, where a person reported he and his brother were jumped. The victim’s brother, licensed to carry a concealed firearm, pulled his weapon, and shots were fired by the suspects as they fled.
On Aug. 27 and 28, police said three men were behind six armed robberies in the Short North.
Pandora said that she learned from police that e-scooters have been used during robberies and assaults.
She also said that a Short North worker was hospitalized after being struck by a scooter.
“We hear about countless incidents,”
Pandora said.
“It’s important to know it’s illegal to ride them on sidewalks anywhere” in the city, she said. “Unfortunately it’s a real challenge in terms of enforcement. We believe this is a necessary public safety intervention.”
Scooter company representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.
Amy Phillips-gary, manager of Global Gifts at 682 N. High St., said problematic e-scooter riders aren’t an everyday occurrence, but she hears about it, and has had to get out of their way herself.
“I’ve walked on the sidewalk and had to step aside really quick,” she said.
Kate Stevens, who owns Red Giraffe Designs, a jewelry boutique at 847 N. High St., said she sees people riding escooters on the sidewalk often, and saw one scooter rider crash on High Street. A vehicle ran over the scooter.
Some riders also leave them on the sidewalks, she said, sometimes blocking her front door.
Stevens acknowledged that her employees and customers have used escooters.
“As long as people are being safe and smart about it, they can be very beneficial. I also see people using them recklessly,” she said. mferench@dispatch.com @Markferenchik