NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville mayor says he's going to call for the removal of all scooters from the city's streets, at least for now.
The scooters are a very popular way to get around, but there have been many concerns about safety and complaints about the scooters being a nuisance.
After the death of a 26-year-old in a scooter accident earlier this month, Mayor David Briley asked the scooter companies to come up with amended polices that addressed the issues, or he would ask the Metro Council to terminate the existing contracts and stop operation.
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"Since issuing my letter to all scooter operators, we have met with company representatives and carefully considered resident feedback. On June 14, a group including Lyft, JUMP, Bird, Lime and Gotcha submitted a proposed agreement regarding scooters in our city, and Spin has sent its own ideas. I appreciate the effort and quick response by these companies," said Mayor Briley in a statement.
However, Briley does not feel the proposed changes were enough.
Briley said he will work with the Metro Legal Director to draft the amendment that would "terminate the existing scooter pilot program, immediately remove all electric scooters from Nashville streets, and direct the Transportation Licensing Commission to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) within 90 days of the Council's approval of the ordinance."
Briley said he would consider adding back one or two scooter operators in the future to provide a limited number of scooters that meet requirements "for safety and accessibility," which is the purpose of the RFP.
"The safety of all Nashville residents, workers and visitors has always been my primary concern since scooters hit the streets a year ago. I look forward to a resolution that meets that need," said Mayor Briley.
The City of Knoxville is in the midst of a pilot program with two scooter programs in downtown.