Title
Ordinance No. 18-47 adopting a new Part 13 (Bicycle-Share Businesses) of Article 3 (Sales of Goods and Services) of Chapter 2 (Business Licensing, Liquor Regulations and Taxation) of the Code of the City of Colorado Springs 2001, as amended, pertaining to bicycle-share business licenses and providing penalties for the violation thereof
Presenter:
Jill Gaebler, District 5 City Council Member
Susan Edmonson, Downtown Partnership
Sarah B. Johnson, City Clerk
Mitch Hammes, Code Enforcement Services Manager
Body
Summary:
Currently, the City of Colorado Springs has no regulatory provisions for the operation of bicycle-share businesses within the City. To facilitate the orderly operation of such businesses, this ordinance implements a business license for bicycle-share businesses.
Bicycle-share businesses offer bicycles for renting on a self-service basis through an automated system. Bicycle-share businesses provide a fleet of bicycles for short-term rentals, offering users the ability to pick up a bicycle in one location, and return to a different location within the system's service area. The service is made available to registered users, and can be run by the City or by private organizations. Without regulation, bicycle-share businesses may pose a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare.
Bicycle-shareing is an area of mobility experiencing great growth and change in recent years,. For the first decade or so, bicycle-share businesses used stations (also known as docks or hubs) to store the bicycles when not in use. In this “stationed” model, users check out a bicycle from one station and return it to another station. This model incorporated the needed technology in the stations and payment kiosks, and meant that bicycles not in use were generally stored in an orderly, predictable fashion.
New “dockless” systems have developed with the needed technology in the bicycles and on mobile phones, rendering the systems far more flexible. Some bicycle-share bicycles may be self-locked anywhere within the city, making it difficult for the City to ensure that these bicycles are placed safely, upright, and out of the way of pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, and roadways. Bicycle-share bicycles can increase demand for the City’s limited bicycle parking. In addition, abandoned bicycles can become a major cause of blight in both residential and nonresidential neighborhoods if volume exceeds storage capacity. Without regulation, bicycle-share businesses may pose a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare.
Providing a licensing structure for bicycle-share businesses to operate should help achieve the City’s goals of encouraging bicycling; reducing vehicle miles traveled and single occupancy vehicle trips; providing first and last mile solutions for existing transit; and providing adequate bicycle parking to meet the needs of shoppers, visitors, employees, and residents. Regulations on bicycle-share should serve to reduce the potential for bicycles to block or interfere with pedestrian, businesses, and emergency service use and access to all streets, sidewalks, paths, driveways, doorways, and other avenues of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
This ordinance does not require licensure for bicycle shops or hotels that rent bicycles to individual users who do not rent through an automated system.
Downtown Ventures (a subsidiary of the Downtown Partnership) has entered into a contract with a bicycle-share business to provide bicycle share services in Colorado Springs. This bicycle-share business will be required to apply and receive a license under this ordinance if passed by the Council.
Adopting the attached ordinance and related licensing fees will establish rules and regulations governing operation of bicycle-share businesses in the City, ensuring bicycle-share businesses are consistent with the safety and well-being of bicyclists, pedestrians and other users of the public rights-of-way.
Previous Council Action:
N/A
Background:
The ordinance mirrors other business licensing ordinances adopted recently by City Council that updated and simplified the business licensing process, eliminated outdated licenses, and increased consistency between licenses.
The item is associated with another ordinance being introduced that relates to the fee amounts for each license associated with bicycle-share businesses.
Financial Implications:
Since this is a new license type there will be a gain in revenue for the city for each bicycle-share business licensed issue.
Board/Commission Recommendation:
N/A
Stakeholder Process:
Council President Pro Tem Gaebler gathered input from various parties, including City staff, business owners, and downtown stakeholders, to develop the ordinance.
Alternatives:
City Council could decide not to adopt the ordinance, which would eliminate the opportunity for bicycle-share business owners to be licensed to conduct their business within the City.
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
Approve an ordinance creating a new Part 13 (Bicycle-Share Businesses) of Article 3 (Sales of Goods and Services) of Chapter 2 (Business Licensing, Liquor Regulations and Taxation) of the Code of the City of Colorado Springs 2001, as amended, pertaining to bicycle-share business licenses and providing penalties for the violation thereof.
Summary of Ordinance Language
An ordinance adopting licensing requirements for bicycle-share businesses within the City of Colorado Springs.