At the April 22, 2020 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Ricky Arriola referred this item to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee (FERC) for discussion.

Electric mobility devices, such as e-bicycles, e-scooters, and e-mopeds, are becoming a popular and eco-friendly means of transportation across the U.S. and Europe, particularly in urbanized cities experiencing traffic congestion and parking challenges. The devices are generally small, nimble, and provide an easy way of moving people carbon-free. In Miami Beach, these devices have the potential to provide a convenient, car-free first/last mile option (such as taking riders to/from transit stops), thus, helping Miami Beach achieve its mode share goals and become a less car-centric and more resilient city.

Numerous companies are currently providing shared mobility services using mobile application-based electric devices. One such company, Revel, provides electric moped sharing services in five cities in the U.S., including New York City, Washington, D.C., and City of Miami.

In preparation for this item, City staff met with Revel representatives to obtain an understanding of their program and services and to gauge if it would be advantageous to pursue a pilot program for similar services in Miami Beach. During the meeting, Revel provided a presentation on their services (attachment). Below are the salient points from that discussion.

• Mobile application based service
• Street-legal mopeds with DMV-issued license plates and insurance
• Electric and quiet mopeds with no carbon footprint
• Goal is to provide short trips and take cars off the road
• Average trip length is 3 miles, replacing short car trips
• Cost is $5 to sign up, $1 to unlock a moped , and $0.31 per minute to ride
• Maximum operating speed is 30 MPH
• Can operate on roads but not on highways
• Cannot operate on sidewalks or bike lanes
• No parking on sidewalks allowed
• Can park in dead space between cars in public rights-of-way
• Can identify illegally-parked mopeds and penalize riders
• If rider violates rules, they are warned (first offense), fined (second offense), or removed from platform (third offense)
• Revel launches with city authorization/contract only
• Trip cannot end outside city with contract; riders are charged until moped is returned
• Helmets are provided in rear storage unit; mobile app reminds riders to return helmets
• Revel can provide revenue share to City or pay a permit fee to City so users can park on-street without paying
• Revel uses a dashboard to gauge performance metrics (real-time and historical) and can share and summarize data for City

CITY OF MIAMI
Revel recently launched its e-moped sharing services in the City of Miami as part of a three-year contract with the Miami Parking Authority (MPA). Revel is currently providing 730 mopeds within the City and reported 11,000 activated users as of March (pre-COVID-19). According to Revel, 60% of trips in Miami replace rideshare, personal car, or taxi with an average trip length of 3 miles. The contractual arrangement provides a 5% revenue share with MPA. Riders do not pay parking at meters given Revel’s revenue share arrangement with MPA. By providing a mobility option, Revel complements the City of Miami’s current bicycle sharing program provided by Citibike as well as its e-scooter sharing program provided by various vendors.

Given current posted speed limits on our causeways and Revel’s maximum operating speed of 30 MPH, the electric mopeds can legally operate on the Venetian Causeway and JFK (79 Street) Causeway, but cannot legally operate on the MacArthur Causeway or Julia Tuttle Causeway.

Based on a conversation with MPA staff, prior to the COVID-19 shut-down in March 2020, approximately 40 Revel mopeds were towed each week by MPA due to illegal parking. Although Revel employs personnel to enforce violations, including illegal parking, their personnel may not be sufficient for the number of mopeds deployed in Miami.

Staff believes that it may be valuable to explore a pilot program for electric moped sharing services in Miami Beach. Mopeds are currently used by many Miami Beach residents as an alternative means of transportation within the City, particularly in South and North Beach, where parking challenges exist. It is worth noting that the City is currently pursuing a pilot program with Citibike for electric-assisted bicycle sharing services; however, electric mopeds have the ability to travel at higher speeds and provide users a quicker and more convenient option for mid-range trips.

Should the FERC and City Commission wish to pursue this initiative on a pilot basis, the Administration recommends issuing a competitive solicitation such as a Request for Letters of Interest (RFLI). Although Revel appears to be the only vendor currently providing electric moped sharing services in Miami-Dade County, issuance of an RFLI, or similar procurement, will ensure an open and competitive process that encourages participation from other potential vendors of which staff may not be aware.