A lawsuit by Bird and Lime against the company Scooter Removal highlights the difficult challenges required to reconcile the private interests of new mobility companies with the access to the public realm on which they depend.
The business model of the San Diego-based company Scooter Removal involves picking rental scooters up off the streets and selling them back to the company that owns them.
Erik Shilling explains:
A company in San Diego co-founded by a former Marine has been scooping up the abandoned scooters that litter city streets owned by the startups Bird and Lime for months, giving some of them back to Bird in November in exchange for more than $40,000. Bird and Lime have since called the company’s activities “ransom,” and a legal battle has begun.
Shilling is reporting that Bird and Lime have filed a lawsuit against Scooter Removal, "arguing that the company’s removal of scooters was in many cases illegal." The article references legal impounding practices as a precedent, and the question of the lawsuit will come down to whether Scooter Removal's business meets the standards met by car impounders.
FULL STORY: Vigilantes Are Taking Scooters Off the Streets of San Diego and Bird and Lime Are Pissed
The Electric Scooter Rebound
The nascent electric scooter rental industry came close to total collapse during the pandemic, but riders are back in bigger numbers than ever and the companies hope to build momentum on growing concerns about the climate impacts of transportation.
E-Scooter Helmet Laws Could Harm Ridership
Transportation experts warn that mandatory helmet laws for shared e-scooters could cripple the nascent industry and discourage casual rides.
E-Scooters Are Coming to New York City
Major micromobility comapnies and lesser known competitors are stating their interest to take part in a New York City e-scooter pilot program slated for Spring 2021.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service