Bozeman is looking at potential modifications to the laws governing motorized scooters

Bozeman, Montana – The season for motorized scooters in Bozeman gets closer as springtime approaches. The city is preparing to take action since the scooters have become a problem in the downtown area.

During the scooter season, which lasts from about April to October, according to transportation and engineering director Nick Ross, users have been parking incorrectly. This hinders accessibility and annoys other downtown residents.

The city’s main priority is accessibility. According to Ross, scooter users who leave their scooters at curb ramps and portions of sidewalks prevent other people from using the ADA.

According to him, other riders have been abandoning scooters in the yards and driveways of residences in the downtown area, annoying the neighbors.

According to Ross, the city is currently working with a consultant to figure out the best ways to address these problems.

“Some of the strategies we’re investigating right now sort of focus on um, behavioral modifications, so making the users of our scooters are responsible and accountable for their use both in operations on our streets and where they end up getting parked,” he said.

By the end of the month, the consultant is supposed to present suggestions for revising the scooter ordinance. The Transportation Advisory Board and the city commission will next review and approve the proposals, according to Ross.

The city places a high value on a variety of modes of transportation, including walking, driving, riding scooters, and taking the bus. Almost 10,000 different people used the Bird Scooter scooters last year, and over 100,000 kilometers were ridden in total.

Nonstop Local will continue to follow this issue to let you know if the laws governing scooters alter.