SDOT adjusts permit requirements for shared bike and scooter program to enhance safety

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has adjusted permit requirements for its shared bike and scooter program to help enhance safety and address concerns about people riding and parking devices where they are not allowed.  

SDOT notes the new requirements will be bolstered by an ongoing investment to expand the bike network, build new parking corrals and continue to provide free helmets. SDOT updated the operating permits for bike and scooter companies on April 1 to encourage safer riding and better parking based on best practices from other U.S and international cities.  

The permit now requires bike and scooter share companies to use new technology that detects when someone on a scooter is skidding, jumping or riding recklessly on a sidewalk. Bike and scooter share companies must incorporate this technology as soon as possible, including deployment on at least half the standing scooter fleet within Q2 2026 and deployment on all devices by the end of 2026.

According to SDOT, as the companies install and fine-tune the new sensors, they will provide direct feedback to riders, resulting in specific consequences for people who break the rules. Initially, the devices will provide audible warnings and in-app alerts when people improperly ride on sidewalks. Once testing confirms that the sensors are working as intended, SDOT says stricter consequences like fines or account suspensions could be added.

SDOT is requiring companies to install more accurate GPS sensors, which can be used to detect when devices are parked inappropriately and automatically limit device speeds when riding through areas designated as “slow zones” in public spaces like Seattle Center, where people walking and riding are both allowed. Riders will continue to see in-app notifications on how to ride and park correctly and are required to take a quiz every few months to ensure they understand the rules. 

According to SDOT, people who ride or park their device improperly are given warnings. If they ignore the warnings, they can be fined or have their account disabled. The maximum possible fines in new permits have increased from $20 to $50 for riders not enrolled in the low-income reduced fare program.  

Other permit updates include:

• Requiring that half of a company’s fleet be bikes or seated scooters, with rules to help ensure scooters and bikes are distributed to more neighborhoods with low car ownership, light-rail stations, and transit hubs.
• Vendor participation in community events.
• Stronger insurance requirements aligning with city risk management recommendations.

SDOT notes the city’s network of protected bike lanes continues to grow and be upgraded thanks to the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Levy.  In 2025, SDOT built and upgraded over 13 miles of protected bike lanes to improve safety and connectivity. In 2026, SDOT says it has eliminated some of the final gaps in the City Center bike network, including the recently completed Yesler Way protected bike lane and the Belltown to Seattle Center Connection Project. According to the department, it is working to triple the number of downtown parking corrals by this summer. The 200 new parking corrals will be in locations where the data says they are needed most and with local business input, such as:

• Popular destinations for bike and scooter trips
• Near hotels and the Men’s World Cup event locations
• Around transit and bike facilities
• Where incorrectly parked bikes and scooters have been ticketed   

In many parts of the city, SDOT says it is using built-in GPS technology to ensure devices are parked in the proper areas and to prevent people from ending their trip if their device is left in certain locations. SDOT notes users will also continue to use their phones to take a photo of their properly parked bike or scooter before they end their ride on the company’s app.

FIFA World Cup plan

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, SDOT notes most of the streets around Pioneer Square will be temporarily closed to vehicles on match days. On these days, bike and scooter share vehicles will be automatically slowed down to 8 mph within the pedestrian zone. Riders will find staffed bike and scooter valet parking areas at key locations near Pioneer Square and the Stadium district designed to accommodate the increased expected ridership and to organize parking.