City council to vote on electric scooters as Fresno shared mobility program

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The community could see more than cars and bikes on the streets of Fresno. Thursday the city council votes whether to launch a shared mobility program.

They're touted as smart and affordable mobility, and if the Fresno City Council votes in favor, Lime electric scooters may be another option when it comes to getting around town.

"Quicker probably a lot cheaper for gas and then parking, that sucks," said Ellie Rowell of Fresno.

"I see a lot of the bigger cities have it I think it would be nice," said Lisa Sartor of Fresno.

Assistant city manager Jim Schaad says they've used examples from other communities to fine-tune the pilot program.

"We do know the general locations would be downtown Fulton area, the Tower District and around the university," Schaad said.

The biggest concern is making sure the scooters are parked properly.

The scooters would not be allowed to operate on sidewalks and could be impounded if left in the middle of a sidewalk or parked in front of an entrance to a business.

Also, using GPS technology, Lime will be able to track the scooters, with the goal of controlling where they go.

"It'll allow us to keep those devices out of areas they're not wanted in," Schaad said.

The shared mobility idea was considered last year after the city forced the Bird scooter company to withdraw its scooters because they started operating without permits.

"We felt we needed a little more time to make sure we had controls and regulations in place to manage the devices," Schaad said.

The program will cost the city $50,000 to $80,000 that they expect will be recovered with user fees.

If the six-month pilot program is successful, the city could begin a competitive process for other franchises to participate.