Houston's Scooter Curfew Takes a Big Bite Out of Local Businesses' Bottom Lines
A recent crackdown on electric scooters in downtown Houston has left shop owners with a major problem - a dwindling customer base and significant losses. The city's 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew, which restricts scooter use during peak hours Friday through Sunday, has decimated businesses like Rent E-Boards Houston, which now finds itself with a row of scooters parked outside with no customers.
Industry lobbyists claim the ban is having a devastating impact on local revenue, with some companies reporting losses since the curfew went into effect. "Eight p.m. is when they start trickling in and 9, 10, and 11 are your highest volume hours," said Bret Hightower, lobbyist for the Legal Scooter Coalition. "You're essentially taking out 80-90 percent of their business."
While some argue that safety measures are necessary to curb accidents on city streets, others believe the ban is too restrictive and can be balanced with additional enforcement efforts rather than a blanket curfew.
"It's like closing down I-45 at night - you'll see zero accidents," said Jake Cooper, owner of Rent E-Boards Houston. "If people are using these recklessly, go downtown and enforce that instead of just putting in new laws."
Houston city council member Joaquin Martinez is open to revising the curfew times if businesses can help improve safety measures. However, some argue that a 30-minute grace period or an 11 p.m. curfew would still allow scooter companies to thrive.
Recent data shows a significant decrease in scooter-related incidents since the ban went into effect, with only five reported incidents between November 19 and December 1. Nevertheless, industry leaders believe the city must find a way to balance safety concerns with the economic interests of local businesses.
A recent crackdown on electric scooters in downtown Houston has left shop owners with a major problem - a dwindling customer base and significant losses. The city's 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew, which restricts scooter use during peak hours Friday through Sunday, has decimated businesses like Rent E-Boards Houston, which now finds itself with a row of scooters parked outside with no customers.
Industry lobbyists claim the ban is having a devastating impact on local revenue, with some companies reporting losses since the curfew went into effect. "Eight p.m. is when they start trickling in and 9, 10, and 11 are your highest volume hours," said Bret Hightower, lobbyist for the Legal Scooter Coalition. "You're essentially taking out 80-90 percent of their business."
While some argue that safety measures are necessary to curb accidents on city streets, others believe the ban is too restrictive and can be balanced with additional enforcement efforts rather than a blanket curfew.
"It's like closing down I-45 at night - you'll see zero accidents," said Jake Cooper, owner of Rent E-Boards Houston. "If people are using these recklessly, go downtown and enforce that instead of just putting in new laws."
Houston city council member Joaquin Martinez is open to revising the curfew times if businesses can help improve safety measures. However, some argue that a 30-minute grace period or an 11 p.m. curfew would still allow scooter companies to thrive.
Recent data shows a significant decrease in scooter-related incidents since the ban went into effect, with only five reported incidents between November 19 and December 1. Nevertheless, industry leaders believe the city must find a way to balance safety concerns with the economic interests of local businesses.
, i mean who would've thought that scooters in houston would be such a big deal? I remember when i was in college and those little ride-sharing services were just starting out it was like 2015 or something and now they're everywhere 
. but yeah, i guess the whole thing is kinda ridiculous, like what's next? banning cars on fridays? 
anyway, i think it's cool that the city council member is open to revising the curfew times if businesses can help improve safety measures... maybe they can find a sweet spot that works for everyone 
but come on, those hours are peak hours for a reason! What's the plan for more enforcement or just letting it slide? And btw, I saw an article that some cities in Europe have been experimenting with green zones where scooters are allowed to ride freely and it seems to be working out pretty well 
. I mean, sure, safety is a big deal and all that jazz, but can't we just find a way to balance it out instead of shutting down an entire industry? 
It's just frustrating when it feels like they're getting shut down without anyone really thinking about the long-term effects 
I mean... this is just great. The scooter curfew in Houston is a total disaster for local businesses. It's like they took all the customers away and left them high and dry. 
I'm not surprised, though - it's not like we haven't seen this kind of thing happen before. Cities always trying to regulate stuff to make things "safer", but really they're just suffocating small businesses and driving people underground.
... that's some pretty devastating news for these companies. It's like, can't they just find a way to balance safety with profits? 
Not great, not great at all. 
like if ur gonna ride at 8pm when the city is already winding down, ur gonna hurt urself or someone else anyway so idc about the "safety measures" lets just make sure theres more bike lanes and pedestrian areas too 
. It's like they're losing customers on two fronts - scooters are either getting shut down or making business harder for them. It makes me think, if we can't even find a way to coexist with electric scooters, how are we gonna tackle the bigger issues?
anyway back to this scooter curfew thing i feel for the business owners but idk if 8 pm is really that crucial for them its not like it's peak shopping hour or something
. I mean, it's like they're losing their main customers just because the city is cracking down on scooters. I get that safety is important, but come on, can't we find a way to make it work? It's not like they're gonna let people ride scooters all day and night, right?
I feel for all those struggling shop owners, man... like, what's the point of having a curfew if it just pushes people away? 
. I think the city should find a way to compromise between safety and making sure those businesses can thrive 
. Maybe they could extend that 30-minute grace period or figure out ways to make scooter use safer without cutting into the revenue of local shops? 
. And yeah, adding enforcement efforts instead of just banning them altogether could work. The fact that scooter-related incidents have decreased is a good sign, but it's not like they were gonna keep happening no matter what 