Request for Committee Action

2022-01045 - Updates to the Parking and Mobility Services Fee and Rate Schedule
2021-01283 - License agreements for the shared bike and scooter program
2021-00990 - Memorandum of Understanding and Request for Proposals for a Shared Bike and Scooter Program
2021-00320 - 2020 Shared Motorized Foot Scooter Program Update
2020-00342 - License agreements for shared motorized foot scooter operations in 2020
2019-00223 - License agreement for shared motorized foot scooter operations in 2019
2018-00883 - License agreement for shared motorized foot scooter operations
2018-00742 - Low Power Vehicles ordinance

The City solicited vendors through a Request for Proposal process for a new Shared Bike and Scooter Program (SBSP) starting in spring of 2022 because the original grant agreement expired for bike share on November 1, 2021, the last motorized foot scooter program expired at the end of 2021, and the shared mobility market had continued to evolve. The City partnered with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), the University of Minnesota (UMN), and the City of Saint Paul, and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with these parties, to issue a joint RFP solicitation for a SBSP beginning in the spring of 2022. The SBSP Program solicitation requested proposers to demonstrate their ability to provide a variety of shared mobility devices in the public right of way including, but not limited to electric assisted bicycles and motorized foot scooters as well as their interest and ability to provide supporting infrastructure. In December of 2021, Public Works requested authorization to award up to three licenses for the new SBSP based on extensive research into market demand and administrative burdens. Three licenses were awarded to Lyft (Classic bikes, electric assisted bikes, and scooters), Lime (scooters only), and Spin (scooters only). Following the start of the season a protest was filed on the RFP, and the PRC recommended the City Council authorize an additional two SBSP licenses. Public Works then executed an additional two scooter licenses with Veo and Bird.

During the 2022 SBSP season, Public Works monitored the compliance of all participating licensees and completed compliance summary reports approximately every 45 days. Included in these summaries were equity distribution compliance, fleet size compliance, general license compliance, and compliance with all items submitted in licensee's proposals. After executing licenses with the two additional licensees, Public Works’ administrative duties increased significantly. Public Works had to oversee two additional license execution negotiations and manage an additional 40,000 scooter trips. These trips resulted in additional operations oversight, operator consistency issues with partner jurisdictions, two additional data feed set ups, an increase in data visualizations needed for operations, technical issues, four additional compliance reports, two additional yearend reports, an additional 12 hours in meetings with licensee management and 10 extra hours with operations staff. These oversight functions were absorbed by Public Works staff without an increase in FTE allocation.

Therefore, Public Works recommends and requests authorization to renew license agreements with three vendors for the Shared Bike and Scooter Program season in 2023 based on vendor compliance in the 2022 season.