WASHINGTON — Arlington County expects to roll out a pilot program for dockless bikes and scooters this fall, clearing the way for formal agreements with the companies that operate them.
The decision comes two weeks after dockless scooter operator Bird began deploying its scooters in Arlington County with no formal county agreement.
In response, the County Attorney considered what the county’s response would be, but in a statement Thursday, the county said there are no regulations currently in place that prohibits the operation and use of the scooters in Arlington.
Arlington County’s transportation staff expects to bring its demonstration project to the County Manager and County Board for approval by September.
If approved, it will be a time-limited pilot project to gauge the impacts and evaluate the overall performance of dockless bikes and scooters.
Arlington has posted a series of frequently asked questions and answers about dockless bikes and scooters and how they may fit in to Arlington online.
The District extended its ongoing dockless pilot program through August.
In D.C., seven private companies are currently operating dockless bike and electric scooters. The bike companies are Jump, Spin, ofo and Mobike. Waybots and Bird operate electric scooters. LimeBike has both scooters and bikes.
