Title
Approving the agreement with Bird and Lime to provide e-scooter sharing services for the 2021 scooter season.
Body
WHEREAS, Mayor Carter’s Administration and the City of Saint Paul value innovation, resilience, and equity, including in transportation options; and
WHEREAS, electric-assist scooters ("e-scooters") are an emerging new mobility option that has proven very popular in other cities across the U.S. and internationally for moving around town using a low-carbon mobility option; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has permitted e-scooter sharing programs since 2018 and has determined that the e-scooters serve an important and valuable transportation service for Saint Paul residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to permit e-scooters to operate on city property in 2021; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to permit up to two e-scooter vendors to operate a total of up to 2,000 e-scooters; and
WHEREAS, per Chapter 141 of the Legislative Code regulating Shared Transportation Systems, vendors are required to have an agreement with the City to operate, and that agreement must be approved by City Council; and
WHEREAS, the City solicited applications from e-scooter vendors to provide e-scooter sharing services for the 2020 season; and
WHEREAS the City received applications from Bird and Lime to provide e-scooter sharing services and they are willing to comply with City ordinances regarding Shared Transportation Systems; and
WHEREAS, the City entered into agreements with Bird and Lime to provide e-scooter sharing services for the 2020 season; and
WHEREAS, the City now wishes to extend those agreements to allow Bird and Lime to provide e-scooter sharing services for the 2021 season; and
WHEREAS, the agreements with Bird and Lime include an indemnification clause, whereby the City agrees to indemnify Bird and Lime for certain injury or damage arising from City employees’ use of the scooters, which Council finds reasonable and nec...
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