City Pauses Participation in Cuyahoga County Bike/Scooter Share Program

Following an initial one-year pilot period, the City of Lakewood has decided to pause participation in the Cuyahoga County Bike/Scooter Share Program.

During the pilot period, over 11,000 scooter rides took place, followed by an in-depth community survey to gather feedback, gauge support, and assess impact. Additional community input was received in the way of unsolicited emails, phone calls, and social media posts. All of this data and feedback was analyzed in detail.

The City observed sustained concerns voiced by residents and business owners alike over poor and often dangerous rider behavior as well as complaints regarding clutter and obstruction of the public right of way (especially sidewalks) and private property by rental scooters and bicycles. These concerns were seen as actually making Lakewood less pedestrian friendly. Overall, this critical feedback meaningfully outweighed positive feedback and observed benefits.

Importantly, the level of support for continuing the program seen in the community survey actually dropped by 30% when compared to a previous survey conducted before the pilot program began. These comparative statistics and the overall feedback received led the City to conclude that the program should be placed on hiatus while further planning efforts proceed to assess issues and concerns and continue to holistically explore the issue of transportation in our community.

The City of Lakewood remains committed to supporting multimodal forms of transportation that present meaningful alternatives to automobiles.  Presently, the City is conducting a Transit Feasibility Study to examine opportunities for local fixed route and on-demand services as well as an Active Transportation Plan to enhance and expand walking and biking opportunities and pedestrian safety. The information gathered from these two planning efforts will inform the City’s ultimate decision making on any future participation in the Bike/Scooter Share Program.