For the past 10 months, electric scooter riders have been allowed to flout the city of Atlanta’s code by riding on sidewalks and in other areas designated for pedestrians.
But that leniency ended this week.
Atlanta Police officers have begun warning people who use scooters to get around town that they risk being fined if they aren't riding in the street with traffic, according to a report by Channel 2 Action News
“If you’re using anything with wheels to get around Midtown or downtown Atlanta, we ask that you be in the street following the rules of the road and staying with the flow of traffic,” Atlanta police Maj. Darin Schierbaum told Channel 2.
Fines could range as high as $1,000, according to the report.
A year and a half ago, Midtown sidewalks were flooded with these scooters, forcing Atlanta politicians to create new regulations.
Many cities are left with the task of figuring out how to handle the devices after a pair of bills set to regulate e-scooters across the state was parked during this legislative session so lawmakers could negotiate more with the scooter companies.
Officials across the metro area say they don’t like how the scooters can be seemingly left anywhere, cluttering sidewalks and disrupting planned traffic flows.
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