(Photo by Mike Licht)

The Arlington County Board approved a nine-month pilot project this week to test out the dockless vehicles that have made a colorful appearance on D.C.’s streets.

Bird, the electric scooter company, scooted on in to Arlington earlier this summer using the Uber model (launch first, answer questions later). Rather than filing a lawsuit against the company, as Santa Monica did, the county has been mulling a legal framework to allow dockless bikes and scooters.

County officials estimate that there are about 50 Bird scooters already on the streets. But starting in October, a variety of companies in Arlington will be allowed to have up to 350 of each of three types of vehicles: dockless bicycles, e-bicycles, and e-scooters. They can increase their fleets of each mode of transport, up to a total of 750 of each, with special permission.

It’s not clear what other companies have plans to move into Arlington.

“It makes sense for us to take a hard look at the latest trend in shared mobility devices—dockless bikes and scooters offered by private companies—to see where they fit in with our emphasis on providing many safe, sustainable transportation options,” County Board Chair Katie Cristol said in a statement.

D.C. launched a pilot dockless vehicle program last year that it has since extended twice (the most recent extension, which goes to the end of the year, now requires that dockless bikes be locked to a rack or pole). But several dockless bike companies have pulled out of the D.C. market or transitioned to scooters, citing the program’s limitation of 400 total vehicles as a factor.

The District saw its first death involving a rented scooter last week, when a 20-year-old man was killed after being hit by an SUV driver in Dupont Circle.

Arlington is limiting scooters to 10 miles per hour, and they won’t be allowed on trails. Both bicycles and scooters can be ridden on the sidewalks. Wearing a helmet is not required in Virginia to ride a bicycle or scooter for anyone over 14, though the county advises “it is always a good idea to wear head protection.”

Previously:
On Lock: Dockless Bikes Will Have To Be Locked Under New Rules
Report: Seven In 10 D.C. Residents Have Positive View Of Electric Scooters
Two Dockless Bike Companies Announce They’re Leaving D.C.