The number of trips on e-scooters in Tampa has skyrocketed to over 730,000, but that ridership did not come without difficulties in controlling where people can ride.
The city released data this week showing that 732,542 trips were taken from May, when the pilot program began, through Nov. 30 from the four e-scooter operators — Bird, Lime, Spin and JUMP.
The purpose of the pilot study was to see the demand for micromobility, help connect people to the TECO Line Streetcar and buses, and to relieve congestion.
“I look forward to continuing to look at alternative modes of transportation as part of my Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow initiative," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in the city's release.
During the six-month period, a total of 856,333 miles were driven, which is roughly 4,000 trips a day. The average distance was just over a mile and the average time spent on an e-scooter was 16 minutes.
The ridership numbers also bring with them complications in controlling where people can operate the motorized vehicles. The city's data reveals that there have been more than 1,500 cited violations from September through November. The violations were from riders operating e-scooters in prohibited areas along the Riverwalk, on Bayshore Boulevard and 7th Avenue.
The majority of the violations came from riding along the Riverwalk at the Tampa Convention Center, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa Marriott Water Street, the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts and MacDill Park.
E-scooter operator Spin had the least amount of violations among the four.
"The vendors have different levels of geo-fencing that they have applied. You can see from the numbers which ones do a better job of limiting the violations," Tampa Transportation and Stormwater Services Department Director Jean Duncan said via email.
Vendors must contact the city on a regular basis to inform them of violations.
"We will factor that performance into our decision making for the permanent program that will start next year," Duncan said, as the pilot program is expected to last one year and the city may select one sole vendor to continue.
The use and regulation of the e-scooters is something St. Petersburg and Clearwater officials are monitoring as their cities prepare to launch their own.
