Fans of both electric scooters and sitting are in luck.

Electric mopeds, also known as motor-driven cycles, will soon be the next shared vehicle available via an app in the District.

The Department of Transportation announced a four-month pilot of the sit-down motorized vehicles on Friday. Companies can apply to have up to 400 vehicles each, but it’s not yet clear when the mopeds would hit the streets. Companies Revel and Muving have expressed interest.

They will join a growing array of rentable vehicles on D.C. streets. DDOT allowed shared cars, like Zipcar and Car2Go, in 2000. Dockless bikes arrived in September 2017. Electric scooters and e-bikes landed in Spring 2018.

Some brick and mortar stores have previously rented mopeds in D.C., but these new vehicles would be rentable via an app, similar to the electric scooters. It’s part of the District’s continued “commitment to foster new shared mobility options” DDOT Director Jeff Marootian said in a release.

“This is another opportunity for us to reduce dependence on single-occupancy vehicles and expand the sustainable transportation options we offer to residents and visitors,” Marootian said.

How It Will Work

DDOT says more information beyond the initial announcement is coming next week. So far, they’ve said moped rental companies must comply with D.C. laws, and additional terms will be posted by August 12.

The agency also lays out the definition of a “motor-driven cycle” and a few regulations in this document on “non-traditional motor vehicles and other vehicles:”

• A “motor-driven cycle” is a motor vehicle that has “a seat or saddle for the use of the operator” and “a gas, electric, or hybrid motor that maxes out at 50 cc.”
• The vehicles require riders to wear helmets and have a valid driver’s license.
• The bikes cannot go above 30 mph. If they go any faster, they’re classified as a motorcycle, which requires a special license.
• They can’t be driven in bike lanes or on sidewalks.
• They can be parked on sidewalks outside the Central Business District

Similar moped programs have already launched in Brooklyn, San Francisco and Pittsburgh.

Electric scooters cost about $1 to unlock and 25 cents a minute to ride.

In NYC, Revel has kept that price structure. It does require a $19 one-time fee to get your license checked, though. Riders must be 21 or older for insurance reasons. It provides two helmets to bring a passenger. The company doesn’t want you to drive on highways or bridges, either.

“As Washington, D.C. continues to be a national model for embracing innovative and sustainable transportation options under Mayor Bowser’s leadership, we look forward to this permit process for shared mopeds,” Frank Reig, CEO and co-founder of Revel said in a statement. “We hope to be fortunate enough to be selected by DDOT so that we can introduce our shared electric mopeds to the whole District soon and provide a reliable and convenient way to help people get where they need to go while also supporting local jobs.”

Muving costs 80 cents a minute, which would make a 20-minute ride about $16, similar to a ride-hailing cost. They also offer cheaper minutes if you buy in bulk.

AAA, pedestrian groups have concerns

The addition of mopeds will likely spark more outrage from people who are already upset with electric scooters and bikes.

John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic said moped safety and training must come first.

“We are concerned about the dangers facing riders and other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, on the street of Washington, D.C.,” Townsend said in a statement. “A body of research shows ‘moped riders are more likely to be injured or to die while riding a moped than when walking, cycling or traveling by car.’”

Townsend cited an incident where a tourist died riding a moped in Bermuda.

“Some argued that people, including tourists, shouldn’t just be able ‘to rent a moped and go out and about without any practice,’” Townsend wrote.

A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found research outside the United States reports a 20-times higher risk of injury associated with traveling by moped than by car.

Eileen McCarthy of the D.C. Pedestrian Accessibility Council said on Twitter she’s concerned mopeds will be left on sidewalks like scooters. She hopes DDOT will counsel the companies and make sure they follow the law.

Previously:
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Vespa-Like Scooter Company Vies To Enter D.C. Dockless Program

This story originally appeared on WAMU