With both Lime and HOPR operating their bikeshare fleets in Orlando and Uber’s upcoming JUMP system, we keep expecting to see scooters scooting through our streets any day now, and yet, nothing.
“Where my scooters at, bro?!”
– Bungalower Reader
Well, the answer to that question is a muddy one.
Currently City and County ordinances do not allow for scooter use but that could change.
According to City spokesperson, Karyn Barber, the current dockless bike program is part of a one-year pilot that will be revisited later this fall and dissected carefully to address what worked and didn’t work in order to make changes and move forward.
Prior to the launch of Lime and their 70-pound e-bikes, the City of Orlando shifted the rules to allow for the electric-assist bicycles on sidewalks.
Beyond the City boundaries, legislators in Tallahassee are currently inking a bill that would better deal with the emerging transportation anomaly that is scooters and e-scooters; do riders have to keep them on streets and in designated pathways or can they take them on the sidewalk? Will they have speed limits to ease potential conflicts with pedestrians?
Mopeds and electric scooters, as well as motorized bikes, are all treated differently from motorcycles by Florida law. While most of these vehicles are considered street-legal, riders are recommended to purchase some sort of coverage in the case of an accident, as they could still be held financially responsible.
Scooters without a seat or saddle are not considered street-legal and can’t be used on the roads or on sidewalks. If it has a seat, it’s considered a motorized scooter in Florida and is considered street-legal and you will need to have a license to ride.
So, in summary, we could very well be getting scooters in Orlando, but nobody really knows when the hell that will happen.
