Pennsylvania Bill Would Legalize E-Scooters in Cities Statewide
E-scooters are legal to buy in Pennsylvania but illegal to ride — a state lawmaker says House Bill 1633 would fix that for dozens of cities.
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA — E-scooters remain illegal to ride on public streets and sidewalks across Pennsylvania, but a bill before the state House aims to change that for dozens of cities, creating a legal framework for both private owners and commercial sharing programs.
State Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) presented her legislation, House Bill 1633, at a Monday hearing before the House Transportation Committee, arguing the current situation leaves riders in a legal gray zone and prevents municipalities from enforcing meaningful safety rules.
A Legal Loophole Leaving Riders Unprotected
Under current Pennsylvania law, residents can legally purchase e-scooters but cannot legally ride them in public. Kinkead described the situation as a “huge gap” in state law that harms both riders and law enforcement.
“We are basically allowing for a free for all, because people are legally allowed to purchase e-scooters in Pennsylvania, but they’re not legally allowed to ride them,” Kinkead said during the hearing.
“That doesn’t allow for this really important new micromobility option, but also doesn’t allow our police and our municipalities to regulate them in any kind of way that actually would keep people safe,” she added.
The absence of a regulatory framework also prevents commercial e-scooter sharing companies — which operate in cities across the United States — from setting up programs in Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh Pilot Showed Strong Demand
Kinkead’s legislation draws directly from a two-year e-scooter sharing pilot program, called Spin, that operated in her north Pittsburgh district before expiring in 2023. The pilot ended because the legislation authorizing it lapsed before it could be renewed.
During its run, the Spin program attracted 212,000 sign-ups. Kinkead told the committee the users were not thrill-seekers but residents relying on scooters to navigate a neighborhood that is both hilly and underserved by public transit.
“What I saw when it came to the usage of e-scooters was not … college kids goofing around. It was people who were trying to get around the North Side, people with grocery bags,” Kinkead said. “These are people who are trying to close the gap in public transit.”
What House Bill 1633 Would Do
House Bill 1633 would allow any of Pennsylvania’s 53 second- or third-class cities to establish an e-scooter mobility program with a commercial provider, using rules modeled on those developed for the Pittsburgh Spin pilot. The bill is similar to legislation Kinkead introduced in the previous legislative session.
The bill is currently under consideration by the House Transportation Committee. No vote date has been announced, according to Pennsylvania Capital-Star reporting.
