+ How and where can scooters be driven?

Privately owned e-scooters are currently not legal in the City of Pittsburgh.

Spin scooters should be operated just how you would a bike, with a few exceptions (as described below). You should ride scooters:

• On the street
• In bike lanes
• Or other designated bike paths such as riverfront trails
• Scooters can only be operated within the City of Pittsburgh

+ Where are scooters prohibited?

Scooters may not be ridden on sidewalks, or freeways and roads with speed limits above 25 mph.

Riding on private property is also prohibited, unless with the expressed permission of the property owner.

Parks and cemeteries are also off-limits, as are dense pedestrian areas, such as East Carson Street. Other areas may be added in the future.

And as one would with a bicycle, steep hills and rough terrain should be avoided.

+ How and where should I park a Spin scooter?

In business districts you must park scooters at:

1. Mobility Hubs or
2. Scooter Corrals

In non-business districts, you may also park

3. Legal street parking (with their wheels perpendicular to the curb.)

Scooters should not be parked:

• on sidewalks*
• bike lanes
• bike trails
• on private property

Do not block:

• ADA ramps,
• crosswalks,
• driveways,
• pedestrian travel

*you may park on the sidewalk only if parked next to a bike rack.

+ Who can I contact for emergencies or complaints?

If there's an injury or emergency involving a scooter, dial 911 immediately to file a report. In a non-emergency situation involving scooter riding or parking, you may file a report either through the city's 311 portal, or by reaching out to Spin directly at [email protected] | 1-888-249-9698. Taking a picture and/or recording the vehicle number and time are crucial for submitting complaints.

+ How old do I need to be to ride?

You must be at least 18 to ride a Spin scooter.

+ How much does it cost to ride a Spin scooter?

It costs $1 to start a trip with 39 cents charged per minute you ride. You’ll receive a $1 credit if you park in a Mobility Hub.

+ What if scooters are too expensive for me?

If you qualify for a state or federal low-income program, then you can qualify for Spin Access, which will qualify you for discounted scooter trips. Visit https://www.spin.app/spin-access or call 1-888-262-5189 to get started.

+ What if I don't have a smartphone or credit card?

Spin Access also provides options for you if you don’t have a smartphone or credit card. Visit https://www.spin.app/spin-access or call 1-888-262-5189 to get started.

+ Are helmets required?

Helmets are not required but strongly encouraged.

+ How will the City make sure that they don't block sidewalks or cause problems?

Although we're hoping that scooter users will be good neighbors, some users may not follow the rules. That said, the parking policies we're enforcing are some of the strictest in the country, which should prevent scooters from cluttering the sidewalks.

As Spin discovers incorrectly parked scooters and receives complaints via 311 or their complaint line, they will assign warnings, fines, and will even suspend or ban repeat offenders. We encourage folks to report any violations as they see them, which will help to keep out the bad actors.

Spin also requires users to take a test prior to riding for their first time, and requires users to take a picture of their scooter after they park. This along with other education approaches and reminders should help guarantee that scooters work for everyone.

+ How will you ensure that scooters will serve all areas of the city?

DOMI has taken great steps to put policies in place to make sure scooters are spread evenly throughout the city. This includes dividing the city into zones and requiring a certain amount of scooters to be available in each zone every day. Also, we're able to set specific "deployment points" for Spin to place scooters, to help ensure access throughout the city. Aside from our own policies, Spin is invested in making sure a scooter is in place wherever someone would want to ride.

+ How do you prevent users from riding and parking in certain places?

Spin or the City can set up “geofencing” which forces scooters to comply to rules set for specific geographies, using the GPS units in each scooter. Though this isn’t a silver bullet, it can be used to designate certain larger properties as “no-ride zones”. Let us know if you think geofencing can be applied to your property!

+ Can they go up and down hills?

This depends somewhat on the weight of the rider, Spin’s scooters can handle a grade of at least 15% which covers most of Pittsburgh's slopes. The scooters themselves also have speed governors that ensure the vehicle goes no faster than 15 mph when descending a hill. Still, as with any vehicle, you should be cautious when ascending or descending a steep hill.

+ What will happen to them over the winter?

Similar to Healthy Ride and Scoobi, Spin will remove most of their vehicles over the winter months, and may increase or decrease their fleet according to the weather. Though, as with any vehicle, we discourage using the road during inclement weather.

+ What if scooters just don’t work for Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will be collecting information on the scooter fleet’s effect over the course of the two year pilot to understand overall usage, perception, complaints, injuries, and other factors to decide whether the pilot was a success or not. This will determine whether the City will continue to permit scooters, make changes to the program, or halt it altogether.

+ Have a question that’s not answered here?

Send it to Move PGH: [email protected].