Cambridge City Council’s Transportation and Public Utilities Committee met on Wednesday to discuss a plan to roll out electric scooter rental services Lime and Bird in Cambridge and surrounding municipalities as early as January.
This isn’t the first time these zippy urban chariots have landed in the streets of Cambridge. In July, the city impounded a flock of Bird scooters released without a license to operate, following up on a cease-and-desist letter.
Currently, the scooters do not comply with state law, which requires the vehicles to have turn signals and a brake light.
"We know drivers don’t follow the rules, cyclists don’t follow the rules, pedestrians don’t follow the rules." Mayor Marc McGovern said. "If everybody just followed the rules, we would really be in a much better place."
In conjunction with The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the committee is working to draft a regulatory framework for all micro-mobility devices, that would include measures to ensure equal access, safety measures and municipal boundaries.
Susan Bueti Hill, a legally-blind Central square resident, said her main concern about the scooters is accountability. “As a blind person, when I come across a scooter on the sidewalk, hopefully I don’t trip over it, but I’d like to report it.”
Both Bird and Lime began operating in communities around Boston during the summer. In July, Bird began offering its fleet of dockless, electric scooters in neighborhoods throughout the Cambridge and Somerville areas, as part of an under-the-radar launch; around the same time, Lime launched in 15 communities around Boston, including Belmont, Newton and Waltham.
"You can’t talk about sidewalk riding and safety and parking without thinking about the right-of-way," said Scott Mullen, director of northeast expansion at Lime. "Those are things... we are working on now."
