With increasing fees and pending legislation, existing micro-mobility companies, like Bird and Lime, are in the spotlight once again, facing new questions regarding legal framework and operation throughout downtown Raleigh and on campus.

The bike and scooter sharing company, Bird, is front-and-center in recent developments. Its operation has also been controversial in the city of Raleigh from the very beginning.

According to Eric Lamb, transportation planning manager for the city of Raleigh, the company started operating without the consent of the city of Raleigh and had been a major reason for conversations since then to progress regarding enforcement and legislation.

Lime, on the other hand, has not been subject to these types of legal questions and has instead worked with the university, offering students a discount for their services.

However, both companies are at the center of discussion as the city of Raleigh struggles to identify the type of vehicle these scooters are to be classified in regard to North Carolina’s motor vehicle law, according to Lamb.

With these issues at hand, the Raleigh City Council has been working on a temporary framework addressing these issues. Lamb discussed pending legislation detailing the future plan.

“The city council, in its action, established a framework for a master encroachment agreement on an interim basis… [dealing] with elements like liability and identification and creates a legal framework that [allows] each of the companies to operate in the city,” said Lamb. 

Although questions regarding the operation of these scooters and identification for them persist from a legal perspective, issues regarding the safety of riders, as well as pedestrians, have continued to be a priority for officials in downtown Raleigh and on NC State’s campus.

Yolanda Jones, communications manager for NCSU Transportation, commented on how vital safety is while using the Lime services on campus.

“We encourage students to put a helmet on, we want to avoid any injuries that could possibly be associated with the scooters,” Jones said. “We encourage students to be safe and enjoy their rides, but be safe, most importantly.”

Citrix Cycle is another bike sharing company that is coming to downtown Raleigh.

The service is only launching bikes that require docking, so they cannot be parked on NC State’s campus, but the service will offer extremely competitive rates and involve a different and potentially more affordable pricing system than Bird or Lime.

While these services have experienced exponential growth in Raleigh, legal guidelines have yet to be put in place regarding the operation of these transportation devices, leaving many points of contention for officials and users alike.