7.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 02/11/2025
- From:
- Jenny Niemann, Climate Section Director
- Department:
- Sustainability
Co-Submitter:
Chris Phair
TITLE:
Micromobility Share – Preliminary Discussion
DESIRED OUTCOME:
Staff seeks support for exploring ways for micromobility share to return to the City of Flagstaff. If Council supports moving forward, staff will begin engaging stakeholder groups and preparing for a procurement process. Staff will return to Council to present the results of engagement and recommendations for procurement.
Executive Summary:
Micromobility refers to modes of transportation, including light, low-occupancy vehicles such as electric scooters (e-scooters), electric skateboards, bicycles, and electric pedal-assisted bicycles (e-bikes). Micromobility share programs provide communities with access to equitable and environmentally friendly transportation options.
Micromobility share has been rapidly expanding in the United States over the past ten years. As of June 30, 2024, according to the United States Department of Transportation, dockless bikeshare systems serve 49 cities and e-scooters serve 130 cities in the US. Micromobility share is supported by several City and Regional planning documents, including the Carbon Neutrality Plan, the Active Transportation Plan, and MetroPlan’s Stride Forward Regional Transportation Plan.
The City of Flagstaff has twice attempted to bring micromobility share to the community. Spin, a bike share operator, served Flagstaff in 2018 for a six-month pilot, resulting in almost 11,000 shared bike trips. The data and lessons learned from this pilot allowed the City to advance toward a micromobility program. In partnership with Northern Arizona University (NAU), the City issued a solicitation in 2019 to permit one bike-share operator in Flagstaff. Gotcha Mobility was the selected contractor and plans began to bring 200 e-bikes to Flagstaff. However, Gotcha Mobility broke the contract in 2020 due to global supply challenges and new company ownership.
City staff and MetroPlan seek to revisit micromobility in Flagstaff. If Council supports advancing the discussion, staff will begin an engagement process to discuss micromobility share with City staff, City Commissions, and regional partners. Staff will also contact micromobility share vendors to understand the market and their interest in coming to Flagstaff. This engagement will be used to inform a future recommendation to Council which could potentially include a request for proposals (RFP) to permit a micromobility share vendor to operate in Flagstaff.
Staff will return to Council with engagement results and a staff recommendation, prior to moving to the procurement stage.
Micromobility share has been rapidly expanding in the United States over the past ten years. As of June 30, 2024, according to the United States Department of Transportation, dockless bikeshare systems serve 49 cities and e-scooters serve 130 cities in the US. Micromobility share is supported by several City and Regional planning documents, including the Carbon Neutrality Plan, the Active Transportation Plan, and MetroPlan’s Stride Forward Regional Transportation Plan.
The City of Flagstaff has twice attempted to bring micromobility share to the community. Spin, a bike share operator, served Flagstaff in 2018 for a six-month pilot, resulting in almost 11,000 shared bike trips. The data and lessons learned from this pilot allowed the City to advance toward a micromobility program. In partnership with Northern Arizona University (NAU), the City issued a solicitation in 2019 to permit one bike-share operator in Flagstaff. Gotcha Mobility was the selected contractor and plans began to bring 200 e-bikes to Flagstaff. However, Gotcha Mobility broke the contract in 2020 due to global supply challenges and new company ownership.
City staff and MetroPlan seek to revisit micromobility in Flagstaff. If Council supports advancing the discussion, staff will begin an engagement process to discuss micromobility share with City staff, City Commissions, and regional partners. Staff will also contact micromobility share vendors to understand the market and their interest in coming to Flagstaff. This engagement will be used to inform a future recommendation to Council which could potentially include a request for proposals (RFP) to permit a micromobility share vendor to operate in Flagstaff.
Staff will return to Council with engagement results and a staff recommendation, prior to moving to the procurement stage.
Information:
Staff will provide information on the following topics:
Feasibility Report
MetroPlan and Mountain Line have prepared a Micromobility Share Feasibility Report. This report examines the state of the micromobility share industry, its use in peer cities, and potential risks and considerations for equity. Please see the attached report for extensive information on these topics.
Implementation Steps
Staff will seek Council’s support for beginning the process of engagement and recommendation development. If Council supports moving forward, the following process will be followed:
Engagement
If Council supports moving forward with RFP development, staff will engage the following groups in a discussion around micromobility share. Staff will review micromobility share with each group, discuss concerns and opportunities, and solicit feedback for an eventual RFP.
COF Commissions
Regional Partners
- Micromobility share basics
- The micromobility market, including information on how micromobility share operates in peer cities, and the history of micromobility in Flagstaff
- The Micromobility share feasibility report, developed by Mountain Line and MetroPlan (attached).
- How we would begin the process of allowing micromobility share to operate in Flagstaff, and key considerations.
Feasibility Report
MetroPlan and Mountain Line have prepared a Micromobility Share Feasibility Report. This report examines the state of the micromobility share industry, its use in peer cities, and potential risks and considerations for equity. Please see the attached report for extensive information on these topics.
Implementation Steps
Staff will seek Council’s support for beginning the process of engagement and recommendation development. If Council supports moving forward, the following process will be followed:
- Engagement
- Build a recommendation for action
- Return to Council
- Open a procurement or permit process
- Vendor selection
- Planning for successful outreach and implementation
- Program launch
- Ongoing support
If Council supports moving forward with RFP development, staff will engage the following groups in a discussion around micromobility share. Staff will review micromobility share with each group, discuss concerns and opportunities, and solicit feedback for an eventual RFP.
COF Commissions
- Inclusion and Adaptive Living
- Diversity Awareness
- Sustainability
- Transportation
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees
- Tourism
- Community Enhancement Committee
- Community Development
- Economic Vitality
- Legal
- Police Department
- PROSE
- Public Works
- Risk Management
Regional Partners
- Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)
- Chamber of Commerce
- Coconino County
- Health and Human Services
- Sheriff’s Office
- Transportation
- Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD)
- Downtown Business Alliance (DBA)
- Northern Arizona University (NAU)
- The Transit Services Department will work with other NAU Departments