The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has started accepting applications for next year from companies offering dockless scooter and bike services.
The city’s 2020 Shared Dockless Vehicle Program is expected to bring over 100 percent more dockless scooters and bikes to D.C. than there currently are, if the applicants use their fleet size limits to the maximum.
In 2020, dockless vehicle operators in the District will be permitted to have fleets comprising up to 20,000 vehicles — 10,000 scooters and 10,000 bikes. The maximum limit allowed this year is a little over 6,200.
However, D.C. will be limiting the number of operators to four per vehicle type, and the highest number of dockless vehicles each company can offer will be 2,500.
In order to address the issue of dockless vehicles blocking sidewalks in the Central Business District, DDOT is planning to install 100 parking corrals for them and paint stencils on sidewalks marking them as a “dismount zone.”
“Mayor Bowser has made it clear that accessible and sustainable transportation is a top priority for the District of Columbia, and shared dockless vehicles are part of our city’s transportation network,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian in a press release on November 7.
“The 2020 shared dockless vehicle program is representative of our approach to introducing new transportation options while being responsive to stakeholder feedback.”