Dockless Scooters Get New Rules In Nashville And Will Be Reevaluated In 2020

After some last-minute tweaks, Nashville’s Metro Council has revised the rules for dockless scooters.

Councilman Jeremy Elrod said Tuesday that standup scooters have proven popular, as the city is nearing 1 million scooter trips. But he told the council that adjustments were needed because of ongoing complaints.

“The main concern is the use of sidewalks, both parking on them inappropriately and riding on them incorrectly, against Metro Ordinance,” he said.

The changes include:

• banning riders under age 18;
• increasing the fine for improper parking by $10;
• assigning the Transportation Licensing Commission to create explicit no-parking areas;
• tasking Metro Public Works with carving out some specific scooter parking zones

Additional changes could still follow. Officials are examining whether hours of operation should be limited for scooters.

The biggest change could end up being a deadline set for April 1, 2020. Before then, the city must evaluate if the entire scooter program has worked, and whether the scooters can stay.