City of Cleveland Issues Shared Mobility Permit to Wheels

CLEVELAND – The City of Cleveland today announced Wheels, a shared mobility company based in Southern California with operations in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, has been approved as a fifth vendor to participate in the City’s ongoing six-month demonstration period for dockless rental scooters and bikes. Wheels devices, which are similarly configured to a bicycle, but do not have pedals, are expected to be available on Cleveland streets in Oct. 2019.

“The goal of legislation regulating this new industry is to ensure that there are rules and a process for shared mobility devices operating in the City of Cleveland,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Sensible regulation aims to make this mode of transportation safer and more efficient for all sharing the road.”

The Wheels device is similar to a bicycle and permit rules governing dockless e-bicycles will also apply to Wheels, including a 20 mile per hour speed cap and 24-hour operations. Users should ride the devices in the road and are required to follow all traffic laws.

"The Wheels device adds diversity to Cleveland's shared mobility options, and the sit-down model may expand access for those who are not able to ride a stand-up scooter," said Chief Operating Officer Darnell Brown. "We look forward to monitoring use data and receiving public feedback about experiences with Wheels, as well as other permitted vendors, to inform future regulations."

About Shared Mobility

'Shared mobility' refers to individual transportation devices like scooters and bikes that are available to rent for short rides around the city. The devices are parked on the sidewalk and are activated through a smartphone app and user account.

On Aug. 26, 2019 the City of Cleveland began a six-month shared mobility demonstration period. Since that time, riders have taken over 40,000 scooter trips in the city. Shared mobility companies Bird, Lime, and Spin currently offer stand-up scooters in Cleveland. The City anticipates the addition of Bird e-bikes, VeoRide stand-up scooters, and Wheels mobility devices to Cleveland streets in upcoming weeks.

Mayor Jackson’s transportation vision is rooted in community health, equity, economic development, safety and sustainability. The dockless scooter and bike program supports a number of City plans and initiatives, including but not limited to:

• Vision Zero Initiative
• Complete and Green Streets Ordinance
• Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan
• Bikeway Master Plan (City has installed 80 miles of bike infrastructure since 2014)
• Cleveland Climate Action Plan

For more information about the shared mobility program, visit planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/dockless.

About the City of Cleveland

The City of Cleveland is committed to improving the quality of life of its residents by strengthening neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing diversity and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, play, and do business. For more information on the City of Cleveland, visit online at www.city.cleveland.oh.us, Twitter at @cityofcleveland or Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland.

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