Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Briefing on Shared Bike and Scooter Program – September 2, 2026

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of Denver City Council met on September 2, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Room 391 of the City & County Building. Chair Flor Alvidrez presided. All seven members were present except Stacie Gilmore. The main agenda item was a briefing on the Shared Bike and Scooter Program (26-1267) from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) and Veo. Five consent items were approved unanimously without discussion. The meeting adjourned around 3:00 PM.

Consent Calendar

• 26-1236: Relinquished a portion of an access easement at 4991 North Telluride Street, Council District 11. Approved.
• 26-1237: Dedicated a City-owned parcel as Public Right-of-Way at South Poplar Street near East Hampden Avenue, Council District 4. Approved.
• 26-1238: Dedicated a City-owned parcel as Public Alley bounded by East Colfax Avenue, North Marion Street, East 16th Avenue, and North Lafayette Street, Council District 10. Approved.
• 26-1239: Approved a $44,926,753.46 contract with WW Clyde & Co. for 457 consecutive calendar days for the Deicing Industrial Waste Pond 009 Rehabilitation project at Denver International Airport, Council District 11. Approved.
• 26-1240: Approved a Ground Service Equipment facilities lease between Swissport USA Inc. and Denver International Airport for three years with two one-year renewal options, Council District 11. Approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ed Nara, a resident of District 10, stated that sidewalk riding is not a new issue and has persisted for six years without effective resolution. He asked what will be done to effectively address it, noting the lack of technology in place. DOTI Deputy Manager Nick Williams acknowledged the concern and reiterated the commitment to addressing it through layered technology (audible alerts, slow zones, LIDAR, cameras) and a new user violation schedule.

Discussion Items

• Shared Bike and Scooter Program Briefing (26-1267): DOTI and Veo presented quarterly report highlights and strategies for improving rider behavior and parking compliance. Key points:
  • Program ridership is up 12% compared to the same period in 2025; over 1.34 million rides taken since May 1, 2026.
  • Access program users account for 42% of all rides; 11,000 income-verified users as of August 31 (up from 8,000 in the first two months).
  • 63% of rides are at discounted rates; 42% are free or near-free (access users).
  • Veo deployed 9,000 devices with 78% seated models; over 75% of rides are on seated devices.
  • New technologies: audible alerts for sidewalk riding, geo-fenced slow zones (e.g., near schools, Cherry Creek Mall, Coors Field), LIDAR sensors being rolled out (1,500-2,000 devices installed), and a user violation schedule starting August 10 (warnings, then $5 and $10 fines with account suspension).
  • Parking: 280 existing corrals; Veo to add 150 new corrals over three years, with 40 by end of 2026 to support mandatory parking zones starting in Union Station by December 31, 2026, expanding to central business district and Five Points by July 1, 2027. Lucky zones offering ride credits for proper parking.
  • 575 helmets distributed so far out of 1,350 annual requirement; a "Helmet Selfie" discount offered in-app.
  • Community engagement: Veo held six events since May 1, reaching ~2,200 individuals; pre-launch events targeted access transitions.
• Council questions and concerns:
  • Councilman Kevin Flynn asked about 15 mph speed limit possibly encouraging sidewalk riding; DOTI noted the limit aligns with bicycle speeds and that GPS limitations prevent tighter geo-fencing in dense downtown areas. He also noted that only 4% of account holders (9,000 out of 146,000) have signed up for the Denver resident discount, and urged better inclusion of border-area zip codes. Veo confirmed edge-case zip codes are now included.
  • Councilman Chris Hinds emphasized the need to restore public trust after July 1 and past lack of enforcement. He pressed for a timeline on technology rollout; DOTI committed to providing a detailed timeline within two to four weeks.
  • Council President Diana Romero Campbell requested disaggregated data on rider demographics and trip origins/destinations to better inform corral placement in District 4. Veo offered to provide localized data and presentations.
  • Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval highlighted trail conflicts (e.g., Cherry Creek Trail, Platte River Trail) due to wider seated scooters, and noted 311 reports sometimes returning “no issue found.” She suggested a one-pager for council offices and better school outreach to educate parents about underage riding.
  • Councilwoman Shontel Lewis (via written questions) asked about the selection of RTD stations for the first/last mile free program; DOTI explained they coordinated with the West Corridor TMA and shifted from Decatur-Federal to Knox Court due to existing free ride opportunities. She also asked about prepaid card users; DOTI said anyone can use prepaid cards, but it is rare.
  • Councilman Chris Watson questioned a statement in the quarterly report that “every vehicle in the Denver fleet is equipped with sidewalk detection technology including GPS, LIDAR, cameras” – DOTI clarified that not all vehicles have all three technologies; the wording was unclear. He also asked if 90% of sidewalk rides are on scooters versus bikes, whether the city would consider reducing scooter numbers. DOTI indicated they have regulatory authority to adjust the vehicle mix if data links bad behavior to a specific type.
  • Chair Flor Alvidrez noted that 311 reporting should direct users to Veo directly, not 311, and requested slow zones around Houston Lake Park and South Broadway (where a bike lane exists).

Key Outcomes

• All five consent items were approved by voice vote without objection.
• The committee received the briefing on the Shared Bike and Scooter Program; no formal vote was taken.
• DOTI committed to provide city council with a more detailed timeline on the rollout of LIDAR, cameras, and other sidewalk-riding mitigations within two to four weeks.
• Veo will work with council offices to provide localized data and presentations on ridership patterns to help plan corral placements and address district-specific concerns.
• DOTI and Veo will continue to expand parking corrals, slow zones, and mandatory parking zones as required by ordinance, with a focus on Union Station by end of 2026.
• The committee will monitor progress on enforcement of the user violation schedule and equitable deployment of devices (30% in opportunity areas – currently below that threshold).