By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com

Councilor Mo Seifeldein is calling for the temporary suspension of the city’s e-scooter pilot program, according to a June 20 news release.

“There are safety concerns and then there are equity concerns,” Seifeldein said in an interview. “And then given the rise of death for scooter riders – 11 in the nation – I think that’s significant, and I wouldn’t want anything like that to happen in Alexandria.”

The city has the power to cancel or suspend its pilot program at any time if council decides to do so. So far, Seifeldein is the only member of city council to call for the program’s suspension.

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Seifeldein said he called for the temporary suspension in order to talk with staff, community members and the local law community about how the city can address safety and equity concerns, regulate scooters and evaluate potential ways forward for the program.

“I’ll be reaching out to law students and law professors and staff and community members to try to sit down and figure out the best way to approach this issue and whether it is approachable at all,” Seifeldein said in an interview.

The city’s pilot program ends in September, although city staff is able to extend the program by two months while collecting and analyzing data to make a recommendation to city council. Seifeldein aims to suspend the program before city council adjourns for the summer.