DENVER — A Denver City Councilman worked for years to make sidewalks safer, and a unanimous vote on Monday could be the solution.
Chris Hinds, said changes will be in place to make sure e-bike and scooter riders stay off the sidewalks and don't finish their ride until they can park in a corral, not just anywhere.
The new ordinance requires vendors help to install detection technology to tell if riders are anywhere other than bike lanes, Hinds said.
That means scooters and e-bikes across the city will need to be scooped up and replaced with new ones that have the technology, according to Hinds.
There are a few recommendations for the Denver Department of Transportation Infrastructure, according to Hinds, to hold riders and vendors accountable. That includes beep and voice telling people, "No sidewalk riding," fining the vendor, or additional fees to riders at the end of a ride if the GPS technology detects the rider on a sidewalk.
Hinds discussed when Denver might see the changes take effect.
"Our Department of Transportation Infrastructure is going to submit and our request for proposals from micro mobility vendors in the next couple months, and they anticipate that those contracts will take effect mid year next year," Hinds said.
Denver7 reached out to police to ask how this will impact enforcement. We were told it's between the city and vendor.