You can drive all night… but you can’t use a shared scooter or bike in Atlanta after midnight. Before the 2019 curfew, shared devices in Atlanta were available 24/7, aiding many night-shift workers. Now, there's a push to extend these hours again.
Every form of transportation has its issues. But limiting people's choice of transportation at night does not make people safer. In 2022 Atlanta City Council extended the operating hours to midnight. Now, we have the chance to further extend the hours of micromobility in Atlanta to 2 AM, closer to equal footing with other forms of transportation that don’t get shut down overnight.
On Wednesday October 30, Atlanta City Council's Transportation Committee will consider 24-R-4212: "A resolution by Councilmember Antonio Lewis requesting that the Commissioner Of The Atlanta Department Of Transportation amend the administrative regulations for shareable dockless mobility device operators to allow device operation between midnight and 2:00 am."
Take Action: Two ways to support extending micromobility hours
1. Contact the Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee
- Committee Chair District 3: Byron Amos [email protected] (404) 330-6046
- District 2: Amir R. Farokhi [email protected] (404) 330-6038
- District 4: Jason Dozier [email protected] (404) 330-6047
- District 6: Alex Wan [email protected] (404) 330-6049
- District 9: Dustin Hillis [email protected] (404) 330-6044
- Vice Chair District 11: Marci Collier Overstreet [email protected] (404) 330-6054
- District 12: Antonio Lewis [email protected] (404) 330-6053
2. Speak up at the next Transportation Committee Meeting
- Wednesday, October 30th
- 10 AM at City Hall
The Issue
Prior to the 2019 curfew, these shared dockless devices operated 24/7, providing essential transportation options for many Atlanta residents. Following the curfew’s adoption, third-shift workers, service industry employees, and construction workers who rely on these devices for their commutes after 9 PM called for longer hours.
In 2019, we called a different response: to install more protected bike/scoot lanes to make these modes safer, rather than banning them at night. We are still pushing for faster progress building the network of bike/scoot lanes and safer streets for people. But limiting people's use of one kind of transportation at night is not the solution. (While the National Safety Council calls night "the most dangerous time to drive" no one is suggesting limiting driving hours or access to sidewalks at night.)
The city council’s resolution in December 2022 extending the operating hours to midnight was a step in the right direction. The data speaks volumes: after the extension, trips jumped significantly during the extended hours: From December 2022 to June 2024, between 9 pm and midnight there were 392,757 trips, accounting for 13.8% of the total trips (June 18, 2024 Shared Micromobility Program Overview). This clearly demonstrates a substantial demand for micromobility options during these hours.
For many people, including folks who don’t own cars, their jobs require night-time travel. For others, a scooter is simply a good way to enjoy the city at night. Restricting access to scooters, which in Atlanta provide an important mobility option for Black Atlantans, immigrants, women, and young people, leaves those who need to commute at night with fewer options. Many bus routes end service at midnight as well. When you're choosing between walking a mile home from the MARTA station at 1 AM and riding a scooter, a scooter can be the safer option from a personal safety standpoint.
Maintaining or extending the curfew further will benefit a large portion of our population who rely on these devices for safe and affordable transportation. It will also support our city’s efforts in reducing traffic congestion, lowering carbon emissions, and promoting more sustainable urban mobility.
Episode 8 of the Arrested Mobility Podcast: Electric Scooter Bans
Propel ATL blog post December 13, 2022: Shared e-scooter & bike hours extended to midnight