Ella RobinsonE-scooters in Georgetown have divided public opinion. There are clearly a lot of fans – in fact, Georgetown has the second-highest usage of scooters across Washington, D.C., only behind the National Mall. But parking those scooters, that’s another problem.
The Lime website, one of the leading e-scooter providers in D.C. reads, “Users shall park electric mobility devices in corrals when available.” But there aren’t enough securing parking spaces for them, and Mimsy Lindner, ANC2E commissioner, thinks people wouldn’t use them anyway. “I think people are lazy and they have to go right to the door, leave it in front of the coffee shop or in front of the bank, and not park it in a corral and walk half a block,” she said.
It’s not unusual to dodge e-scooters when walking the sidewalks of Georgetown; sometimes, you have to step over them. There have been 157 complaints about scooter parking in Georgetown through the 311 system so far in 2024.
“They are like litter throughout Georgetown,” Lindner said. She’d just returned from Paris, where e-scooters are banned, “It is embarrassing to think of our streets compared to the streets in Paris,” she said.
It causes further issues with people with mobility needs. Lindner told The Wash she’d seen visually impaired people walking in the street, and heard from constituents who use wheelchairs and can’t access the sidewalks because of the scooters.
Parking solution?
The Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces aims to bring together the community’s thoughts and opinions so they have a voice, explained Stefanie Scott, co-founder of the coalition. At a recent meeting with the District Department of Transportation representatives, Scott asked, “Why are people allowed to just park and stop their rides anywhere they want? There’s no control or process in place to make people park at a bike rack.”
Again, Scott looked to Europe for examples, explaining Lime’s red zone and possible parking technology. “The DDOT representatives had no idea it could be set up that way,” she said.
Scott thinks dedicated parking areas would “alleviate so many frustrations of residents that walking out their door, there’s abandoned bikes in front of their house.” However, the Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces has also voiced concerns about where bike racks have been placed in Georgetown, especially in congested areas, which resulted in racks being moved.
Colin Browne, communications director at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, thinks more scooter racks reduce congestion, as more people would be using scooters rather than driving a car. He explained the new scooter racks are smaller than the size of one car parking space and are typically placed on the corner, where cars aren’t allowed to park to maintain sight lines.
Thanks to @DDOTDC for the nifty new in-street bike rack and scooter parking area! This is at Kilbourne and Mount Pleasant street, in the No Parking area—daylighting for the crosswalk, space for bikes and scooters, no legal parking harmed. pic.twitter.com/vJZrD5fp6c
— Jon Stewart (@JonStewartMtPDC) November 21, 2019
The Washington Area Bicycle Association both works with DDOT and advocates to DDOT to find a parking solution. They also partner with Lime on their e-scooters and bikes in the District. “The combination of those incentive structures and creating easy places for people to leave them is effective. They’re just not everywhere yet,” Browne said.
They’ve found more pushback in Georgetown over the new parking areas. “In Georgetown specifically, more than in many other places, there is a concern about aesthetics, which I am not sympathetic to I confess,” Browne said. “You can park the world’s ugliest sports car anywhere you want, but a scooter, God forbid.”
The importance of access
“Less than half of the population of D.C. drives to work, and more than 40% of households in D.C. don’t even own cars,” said Browne, “making space for the people who aren’t driving to get around safely is really important.”
In Georgetown there isn’t a metro station, so e-scooters are more important as a last mile solution – “It’s a long walk or a short scooter ride,” Browne said.
E-scooter trips typically don’t compete with other forms of public transit but with ride-hailing, Browne explained. Replacing short taxi journeys with e-scooters will help congestion and parking in Georgetown, and the climate.
This is true for Scott who uses scooters when she’s running late, “I use a scooter so I can get to my destination a little faster, a little cheaper than parking,” she said. “I’m not anti-scooter at all. I just want the companies held to a higher standard.”
Most Georgetowners support e-scooters if a parking solution can be found, ideally before contracts with e-scooter providers are renewed for 2025.
Josie Ansbacher
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