scooters | ARLnow.com

Lime Becomes Second Company to Bring Dockless Scooters to Arlington

Published October 18, 2018 at 10:45AM

Lime dockless scooters in Ballston

Lime has become the second company to start offering dockless electric scooters in Arlington, expanding into the county soon after officials signed off on a pilot program to allow more of the vehicles around the area.

The company successfully applied for that program and is so far only offering scooters, not bikes, in Arlington, according to county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet. Bird was the first company to drop its dockless scooters in the county this summer, though Lime has been courting support from the county’s business community for months now.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 4, 2018 at 8:45AM

Pentagon Ricin Case Update — “Letters sent to the White House and the Pentagon did not contain a finished form of ricin, law enforcement officials said Wednesday, but did contain a primitive form or precursor… A man was arrested in Logan, Utah, on Wednesday in connection with [the] suspicious letters.” [NBC News, NBC News]

Candidates Call for Speedier Lee Highway Planning — “Indications are pointing to redevelopment of significant portions of the Lee Highway corridor through Arlington beginning to gather steam. But is the Arlington County government going to be left behind as the process grinds on? The two candidates for County Board say the local government needs to get moving on its efforts to lead a comprehensive effort in helping plan the corridor’s future.” [InsideNova]

News

Scooter Rider Injured in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published October 3, 2018 at 5:55PM

Firefighters on scene of an injured scooter rider on Fairfax Drive in Ballston

A man on a scooter fell and was injured after suffering an apparent medical emergency while riding.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Fairfax Drive near the Ballston Metro station.

News

GMU Declares a ‘No Scooter Zone’ at Its Virginia Square Campus

By Alex Koma

Published October 2, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated October 2, 2018 at 3:23PM

Signs advertise a "no scooter zone" in front of George Mason University's Virginia Square campus (photo courtesy Chaz Papa)

George Mason University has cordoned off a “no scooter zone” in front of its Arlington campus in Virginia Square.

Readers alerted ARLnow to the signs yesterday (Monday), which are located in front of the university’s Founders Hall plaza on Fairfax Drive.

Feature

Neighborhood Spotlight: Arlington Residents React to Dockless, Electric Scooters

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Published September 29, 2018 at 12:00PM | Updated January 28, 2019 at 5:11PM

This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.

News

County Signs Off on Program to Draw In Hundreds More Dockless Bikes, Scooters

By Alex Koma

Published September 27, 2018 at 1:45PM

Bird scooters near Ballston

Arlington officials will soon allow dockless vehicle companies to operate up to 750 electric scooters and bikes in the county over the next nine months, reversing earlier plans to set a much lower cap on the vehicles as part of a new pilot project.

Starting next week, companies will be able to participate in the “demonstration project” the County Board unanimously approved Tuesday. While an earlier version of the program called for a cap of 350 vehicles per company, the Board ultimately opted for a much larger limit over concerns that a smaller cap would stymie the success of the dockless vehicle firms.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 24, 2018 at 8:55AM

WeWork Coming to Rosslyn — Another coworking space is coming to Rosslyn. WeWork is reportedly coming to three floors near the top of the new CEB Tower. [Washington Business Journal]

Board Passes Four Mile Run Plan — Despite some dissatisfaction among those who live in a nearby community, the Arlington County Board voted unanimously to adopt as-is the proposed Four Mile Run Valley Park Master Plan and Design Guidelines, which includes “a comprehensive Master Plan for Jennie Dean Park and Shirlington Park, with short and mid-term recommendations for maintaining and improving Shirlington Dog Park.” [Arlington County]

News

County Unveils Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program, Plans to Cap Number of Scooters and Bikes in Arlington

By Alex Koma

Published September 20, 2018 at 10:45AM | Updated September 20, 2018 at 12:27PM

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) Arlington is rolling out its promised pilot program to guide the use of dockless vehicles, clearing the way for more companies to offer electric scooters and bikes in the county.

County officials have been mulling how best to regulate dockless vehicles since Bird started offering its scooters in Arlington this June without any warning to the local government. Now, the County Board is set to approve a program requiring companies to register with the county to avoid similar surprises, while also capping the number of vehicles they can deploy in Arlington.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 20, 2018 at 8:45AM | Updated September 20, 2018 at 11:44AM

Pentagon Declares War on Scooters — “The Pentagon hates your little scooters, too. In fact, DoD would like you and your ride-sharing company to know that if you leave your rental scooters or shared-bicycles anywhere on Pentagon property, they will be impounded, right quick.” [Defense One]

ACPD Ticketing Bike Lane Blockers — Arlington County police have been ticketing delivery truck drivers who block protected bike lanes — including the new bike lanes on N. Quincy Street in Ballston — as part of an “enforcement and education” effort. [Twitter]

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Don’t Overlook the Dangers of Electric Scooters

By ARLnow.com

Published September 10, 2018 at 4:45PM | Updated September 20, 2018 at 11:21AM

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Daniel Berkland, an Ashton Heights resident who was recently involved in an accident on a Bird electric scooter.

The dockless vehicles first arrived in Arlington in June, and county officials are planning to unveil a new policy governing their use later this month, as scooter-related injuries appear to be on the rise as the vehicles gain popularity nationwide.

Opinion

Peter’s Take: More Thoughts on Arlington’s Dockless Vehicle Pilot

By Peter Rousselot

Published August 23, 2018 at 2:45PM | Updated September 20, 2018 at 11:22AM

In my dockless vehicle column last month, I noted that Arlington County Transportation spokesperson Eric Baillet had told ARLnow that “county government plans a [dockless vehicle pilot] framework for County Board review in September.” Board member John Vihstadt stated he’d be “broadly receptive to clearing the way for more dockless vehicles to become available around Arlington.”

I then suggested that Arlington familiarize itself with the details of the dockless vehicle pilot programs already begun or completed in other localities, citing Washington D.C., and Denver as examples.

Events

County Holding ‘Our Shared Street’ Block Party to Educate Commuters

By Alex Koma

Published August 6, 2018 at 4:45PM | Updated September 20, 2018 at 11:22AM

Commuters looking to learn more about local transportation options can swing by a block party along Columbia Pike tomorrow night (Tuesday).

Arlington Transportation Partners is hosting its second “Our Shared Street Pop-Up” event on a closed street at the intersection of S. Oakland Street and Columbia Pike, just across from the Oakland Apartments.