If you live in or around #Atlanta, you have likely seen e-scooters filling up the sidewalks. This form of transportation offers an inexpensive way for riders to get around. Companies such as Bird and Lime have taken over Midtown and various parts of the city, giving people something fun to do on those sunny days. However, to some Atlanta locals the e-scooters are seen as a hazard to those that are walking on sidewalks and have even been referred to as a “public menace.”
Because of the controversy surrounding e-scooters, the Atlanta City Council has been meeting to resolve the issue. It has been confirmed that e-scooters are no longer allowed on sidewalks. This includes the Atlanta BeltLine. They are now only supposed to be used on streets and bike lanes.
More rules on the e-scooter law includes:
You must be 18 or older to operate the scooter.
The scooters cannot exceed 15 mph.
They can only occupy one rider at a time.
Drivers may not use their cell phone while operating the scooter, just like when you are driving a normal vehicle.
Scooters must be parked correctly so that they are not interrupting a pedestrians path. Correct parking of a scooter means that the scooter is standing upright out of the middle of a sidewalk and not laying on the ground.
Scooters can be operated on bike paths, such as The BeltLine, but users must yield to pedestrians.
Follow all roadway laws, including stopping at traffic lights, obeying traffic signs, signaling, etc.
In the coming weeks, riders will start to see that #Uber has joined in on the movement with their own e-scooter option, called JUMP.