Almost five years after Lime brand scooters first appeared on Statesboro’s streets and sidewalks, the city’s elected officials are proposing to regulate rental scooters and rental bikes, but not prohibit them.

To that end, the City of Statesboro will host a public information meeting on the scooters, also known as personal mobility devices, on Tuesday, Jan. 23. 

According to a release from the city, officials will review two proposed ordinances regulating scooters and other similar devices at the 6 p.m. meeting inside the council chambers of Statesboro City Hall. The public is invited to attend and offer comments on the ordinances.

Statesboro’s current laws were written before scooters and other forms of personal mobility devices were popular methods of transit. The two proposed ordinances would adopt unified standards for companies that rent or lease scooters within the city and clarify how users must operate the scooters. 

The city contracted with Atlanta-based planning consultants TSW to facilitate the meeting and oversee the drafting of the proposed ordinances. TSW previously worked with Statesboro on the creation of its “Unified Development Code,” which was formally adopted by the City Council last fall. 

Some of the proposed regulations for scooter users that will be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting include a maximum operating speed of 15 MPH, an operator age minimum of 15, and a prohibition on passengers. 

Many of the recommendations are already codified by the state of Georgia, but, according to the release, the city is hoping to formally adopt these regulations and set a clear expectation for the use of the devices within the city limits.  

The city is also looking to hold scooter and personal mobility device companies responsible who choose to operate in Statesboro. Some of the proposed regulations include an annual fee to operate in the city, a limit on the number of shareable scooters, and compliance with storage and parking standards.