Pittsburgh officials announced indefinite pause for e-scooters
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E-scooter operations in Pittsburgh are on an indefinite pause, city officials said Friday.
The announcement came as officials with the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure announced the conclusion of the two-year pilot phase of the Move PGH program, which city officials said included more than 1 million trips on e-scooters.
Pittsburgh’s e-scooters, operated by Spin, marked the first time that mode of transportation had been authorized in Pennsylvania. They were unveiled in July 2021 as a two-year pilot in the city, which is now ending.
City officials said the state is continuing to work through “the complicated legislative process surrounding e-scooters” amid budget negotiations. Without any additional state authorization, e-scooters are no longer permitted to operate in the city at the close of the pilot program.
Beginning Monday, Spin e-scooters will not be operable in the city, officials said. The fleet will be removed from the public right of way in the coming weeks.
City officials said they will continue working with state legislators to reauthorize the scooters.
Other modes of transportation included under the broader Move PGH umbrella — including POGOH bike share, Zipcar car share and Pittsburgh Regional Transit — will continue operations uninterrupted. DOMI is expected to release a full evaluation report on the Move PGH pilot program later this summer.
Pittsburgh residents have expressed varied responses to the e-scooters, which have been seen by some as a convenient transit alternative and by others as a nuisance because the scooters often blocked sidewalks and parking spots.
A study released by Spin showed 48% of Spin riders used the scooters for community, 45% use them to meet family or friends, 23% use them for dining out and shopping and 19% use them to run essential errands.
During an April public hearing before City Council on the topic, officials said more than 200,000 people had used the scooters, and about half of users reported they didn’t have regular access to a car.
As of April, there had been 37 injuries and no fatalities on scooters reported in Pittsburgh.
Related:
• Public weighs in on Pittsburgh's Spin electric scooter ride-share service
• Spin study shows commuters, low-income riders use e-scooters the most
• Electric scooter fleet launches Move PGH program to broaden city mobility
Source: TribLIVE
