Is Atlanta even enforcing electric scooter laws? 1/34
Jump to… You asked, we answered: 34 things you probably don’t know about Atlanta Is Atlanta even enforcing electric scooter laws? Why are there so many damn potholes on DeKalb Avenue? Why is Underground Atlanta underground? What’s the most expensive meal in Atlanta? What does Atlanta do with my garbage and recycling? Did Clermont Lounge’s Blondie really publish a book of poetry? Why is there only one Bojangles’ ITP and a million immediately outside it? How many different cities has Hollywood turned Fairlie-Poplar into? Where did “Hotlanta” come from and why does it refuse to die? Why can’t Decatur get a Trader Joe’s? What animals have gotten loose on Atlanta highways? How many cold cases does the Atlanta Police Department have on file? Whatever happened to Baby Doe’s? How did each Kroger get its nickname? What goes into protecting the Coca-Cola formula? Why does it seem like there are suddenly more homeless people downtown? How much longer can Atlanta be a City in the Forest? Who’s the more successful movie producer: Will Packer or Tyler Perry? Why can private businesses hire cops to direct traffic on busy streets? Why does downtown Atlanta have overhead gerbil tunnels between buildings? Why do street names change at Ponce? How long could Atlanta survive in a disaster? When was Atlanta’s worst snowstorm? What happened to the giant ants at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport? Who the hell is Sloppy Floyd? What’s the fastest speed ever recorded on Ga. 400? I was in an accident on a highway with cameras. Why can’t I get footage? Who owns that tower with the torch next to the Connector? Who killed Ryan Gravel’s hopes and dreams for the BeltLine? How much can an Atlanta stripper make on a great night? Where are the best places in Atlanta to spot celebrities? Does anyone actually like the Varsity? Could commuter rail ever be installed on the train tracks that already run through Cobb County? Why is it so hard to buy a starter home in the city?
Illustration by Uglylogo/byHands.no
In January, Atlanta city council members, in a quixotic attempt to impose order on the scourge new technology of e-scooters, laid down the law . First, companies wanting to dump their scooters on city sidewalks now have to pay a $12,000 annual fee, which permits them to distribute up to 500 scooters. Anything over that is $50 per. Scooters also must top out at 15 mph. And, in news to any pedestrian sidestepping them on a daily basis, parking them on sidewalks now incurs a fine of up to $1,000. Oh, and the ordinance technically bans them from being ridden on the sidewalks.
We say “technically” because, after a three-month grace period, Atlanta police have since written precisely 33 tickets. Nearly all of them have gone to speed demons riding on the sidewalk, and the majority have come in Zone 5, which includes Midtown and downtown. (Average citation fee: $137.44.) Mostly, though, cops are issuing warnings—more than 230 in Zone 5 alone. Meanwhile, city workers have impounded 5,900 scooters (though virtually all were released back to their owners) and levied $225,000 in fines. Levied, but not collected. It appears that the city releases the scooters without ensuring the fines are paid first. Remember that the next time your car is impounded.
This article appears in our November 2019 issue .
1/34
Jump to… You asked, we answered: 34 things you probably don’t know about Atlanta Is Atlanta even enforcing electric scooter laws? Why are there so many damn potholes on DeKalb Avenue? Why is Underground Atlanta underground? What’s the most expensive meal in Atlanta? What does Atlanta do with my garbage and recycling? Did Clermont Lounge’s Blondie really publish a book of poetry? Why is there only one Bojangles’ ITP and a million immediately outside it? How many different cities has Hollywood turned Fairlie-Poplar into? Where did “Hotlanta” come from and why does it refuse to die? Why can’t Decatur get a Trader Joe’s? What animals have gotten loose on Atlanta highways? How many cold cases does the Atlanta Police Department have on file? Whatever happened to Baby Doe’s? How did each Kroger get its nickname? What goes into protecting the Coca-Cola formula? Why does it seem like there are suddenly more homeless people downtown? How much longer can Atlanta be a City in the Forest? Who’s the more successful movie producer: Will Packer or Tyler Perry? Why can private businesses hire cops to direct traffic on busy streets? Why does downtown Atlanta have overhead gerbil tunnels between buildings? Why do street names change at Ponce? How long could Atlanta survive in a disaster? When was Atlanta’s worst snowstorm? What happened to the giant ants at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport? Who the hell is Sloppy Floyd? What’s the fastest speed ever recorded on Ga. 400? I was in an accident on a highway with cameras. Why can’t I get footage? Who owns that tower with the torch next to the Connector? Who killed Ryan Gravel’s hopes and dreams for the BeltLine? How much can an Atlanta stripper make on a great night? Where are the best places in Atlanta to spot celebrities? Does anyone actually like the Varsity? Could commuter rail ever be installed on the train tracks that already run through Cobb County? Why is it so hard to buy a starter home in the city?