Bird Scooters Have Landed

Transportation topics in KC
benjaminkelley
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by benjaminkelley »

DaveKCMO wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 10:48 am Riders need to follow existing rules for bikes, for now (no riding on sidewalks in business districts, honor all traffic control, helmet not required).
So, since currently NOT enforced for bicycles, it will continue to be a problem only now the menace is motorized...
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by KCPowercat »

I mean "menance"? A bit overblown...as a walker, bikes/scooters on the sidewalk is like 10th in my list of menance.....off the top of my head

1) inattentive/rude drivers
2) closed sidewalks
3) broken sidewalks
4) narrow sidewalks
5) unmarked pedestrian crossings
6) not maintained (snow/trash) sidewalks
7) no street trees
8) texting pedestrians
9) broken crosswalk signals (including non auto and auto detecting intersections that don't work well)
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KCPowercat
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by KCPowercat »

KCPowercat wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 11:19 am Can someone define a business district for me....crossroads? Only definition I can find in Missouri statues is for "central business district" which doesn't seem to fit the spirit of what the bike law says.

Another edit...okay the 300.010 defines it (which is where the bike laws are) as within any 600 feet of a highway (?) Where buildings are in use which occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one or both sides of highway....wtf. why the heck we defining business districts based on highways....you can't apply this to cities.

Seems like a sensible approach ...being friendly like this to new industry can only help us as a city IMO
Going down the rabbit hole here...but highway is further defined as any road publically maintained between property boundary lines ("roadway" is the actual road surface for only vehicles)

So by that....it's any road where businesses take up the street front 300 of 600 feet {or 150 on one side and 150 on the other in the same 600 feet)

That's a lot of disallowed sidewalk riding....
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by DaveKCMO »

benjaminkelley wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 12:24 pm ...only now the menace is motorized...
Quote Of The Day
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by bobbyhawks »

The average rider, though, is not going to think "am I in a business district?"
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by WoodDraw »

My first annoyance today with them. Four guys riding down main in a row on the sidewalk on what was a pretty busy afternoon downtown.

I don't think I like that. It's going to take awhile to get etiquette a and rules figured out.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by bobbyhawks »

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... la-1127535
Backlash Brews as Bird Scooters Take Over L.A.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by KCPowercat »

WoodDraw wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:59 pm My first annoyance today with them. Four guys riding down main in a row on the sidewalk on what was a pretty busy afternoon downtown.

I don't think I like that. It's going to take awhile to get etiquette a and rules figured out.
I can only imagine the stories drivers have when that happen on the road.

Unfortunately there will always be inconsiderate people
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by KCPowercat »

bobbyhawks wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:55 pm The average rider, though, is not going to think "am I in a business district?"
Good point.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by DaveKCMO »

Electric scooters now permitted on board KCATA-operated buses (which is almost all of them): https://twitter.com/RideKCTransit/statu ... 0695421952

Obviously don't try this during rush hour.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by mean »

Driving through downtown this afternoon, these things were everywhere. Every last one on sidewalks. Incidentally, all the bicyclists I saw were also on sidewalks. As it was around 5:15 there was a significant amount of other ped traffic.

If we're gonna allow it, we probably need better sidewalks. If we're not, we're probably gonna need enforcement.

On the upside, I played my usual game of "count all the morons parked over the white line along the streetcar route" and there were only a couple instead of several on virtually every block. Progress!
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by DaveKCMO »

I saw someone driving a gasoline-powered golf cart northbound on the sidewalk of the 1200 block of Main. That sidewalk has ZERO room for vehicles, let alone people.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by WoodDraw »

KCPowercat wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 4:12 pm
WoodDraw wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:59 pm My first annoyance today with them. Four guys riding down main in a row on the sidewalk on what was a pretty busy afternoon downtown.

I don't think I like that. It's going to take awhile to get etiquette a and rules figured out.
I can only imagine the stories drivers have when that happen on the road.

Unfortunately there will always be inconsiderate people
I think we should probably block them from main.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by KCPowercat »

Dave sounds like he has an in but I just sent it to their help line as well with reasoning.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by earthling »

I've checked no ride red zones in other Bird cities...

Baltimore: Camden Yards/Stadium stretch, major downtown hospital, national monument
Charlotte: cemeteries, parks, some sections of light rail line
Dallas: Katy Trail, some parks/plazas
Austin: State Capitol area, one other small sq block
San Antonio: The Alamo area, hospital district
STL: Arch area only, though Bird pulled out for now
Oakland: Just one sq block, can't tell what
San Jose: Just a particular business park
Arlington: No restrictions, even scooters around Reagan airport
Scottsdale: 3 random commercial blocks, no apparent reason

Appears several agree Bird should red zone Main St just to discourage most riders if anything.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by DaveKCMO »

Just so I'm clear, you're saying block electric scooters from Main Street entirely? Including the street? Or just parking them? Yeah, I don't agree with that at all. Slippery slope. Bikes would be next, I guarantee it.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by WoodDraw »

DaveKCMO wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:53 am Just so I'm clear, you're saying block electric scooters from Main Street entirely? Including the street? Or just parking them? Yeah, I don't agree with that at all. Slippery slope. Bikes would be next, I guarantee it.
I think the combination of streetcar + cars + pedestrians makes it too dangerous. You have tracks on the street, stops that will make scooter drivers want to get around, and no space.

I don't understand why anyone would ride a bike down main either. Just go any other street and then cut over.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by tower »

WoodDraw wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:00 am
DaveKCMO wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:53 am Just so I'm clear, you're saying block electric scooters from Main Street entirely? Including the street? Or just parking them? Yeah, I don't agree with that at all. Slippery slope. Bikes would be next, I guarantee it.
I think the combination of streetcar + cars + pedestrians makes it too dangerous. You have tracks on the street, stops that will make scooter drivers want to get around, and no space.

I don't understand why anyone would ride a bike down main either. Just go any other street and then cut over.
I would say the same for cars. Why don't we get rid of the on street parking and extend the sidewalk into the road instead? It would solve a lot of conflicts with the streetcar and would further discourage driving on the street.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by WoodDraw »

tower wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:51 am
WoodDraw wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:00 am
DaveKCMO wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:53 am Just so I'm clear, you're saying block electric scooters from Main Street entirely? Including the street? Or just parking them? Yeah, I don't agree with that at all. Slippery slope. Bikes would be next, I guarantee it.
I think the combination of streetcar + cars + pedestrians makes it too dangerous. You have tracks on the street, stops that will make scooter drivers want to get around, and no space.

I don't understand why anyone would ride a bike down main either. Just go any other street and then cut over.
I would say the same for cars. Why don't we get rid of the on street parking and extend the sidewalk into the road instead? It would solve a lot of conflicts with the streetcar and would further discourage driving on the street.
We have to live in the reality we have, and main would cost an insane amount of money to redo. It's just not feasible.

I am all for road diets on other streets though.
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Re: Bird Scooters Have Landed

Post by Critical_Mass »

tower wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:51 am
WoodDraw wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:00 am
DaveKCMO wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:53 am Just so I'm clear, you're saying block electric scooters from Main Street entirely? Including the street? Or just parking them? Yeah, I don't agree with that at all. Slippery slope. Bikes would be next, I guarantee it.
I think the combination of streetcar + cars + pedestrians makes it too dangerous. You have tracks on the street, stops that will make scooter drivers want to get around, and no space.

I don't understand why anyone would ride a bike down main either. Just go any other street and then cut over.
I would say the same for cars. Why don't we get rid of the on street parking and extend the sidewalk into the road instead? It would solve a lot of conflicts with the streetcar and would further discourage driving on the street.
1000x this. So frustrating to see single occupancy cars clogging Main, delaying the streetcar, when Wyandotte, Baltimore, Walnut, and Grand sit relatively empty
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