Micromobility in Maryland 

Micromobility is a term for small, low-speed vehicles that are often powered by humans. E-micromobility refers to electric-powered transportation devices, including electric-bicycles and electric scooters. Advances in e-micromobility have expanded active transportation in Maryland beyond traditional walking and biking, with e-micromobility devices commonly seen on college campuses, in use by people who are swapping traditional bikes for e-bikes to travel further, and delivery workers who depend on e-micromobility for their work and livelihood. In 2025, the largest shared systems in the state set ridership records: Capital Bikeshare, which serves DC, Maryland, and Virginia communities, recorded over 6.3 million trips and Baltimore City Dockless Vehicles surpassed three million trips, in addition to countless trips made on personally owned micromobility devices.

Want to Know more?

• E-Micromobility Quick Guide : This guide is an overview of all things micromobility, including the basics, facts, and safety tips.
• E-Micromobility Safe Riding Guide: This breaks down differences from regular bikes so you can be sure your vehicle is safe and that you’re riding safely.
• E-Vehicle Maintenance and Battery Safety: This guide includes how to identify bike class, battery safety, and maintenance tips.
• Micromobility in MD Regulation Overview: This overview details the current usage patterns and vehicle code for micromobility devices.

More information about Micromobility in Maryland can be found in the 2050 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, published in 2024. Different roles MDOT plays in micromobility can also be explored below.

MDOT's Role in Micromobility

Defining vehicle types and legal uses

As new types of mobility arise and become more common, their place on the roadway and rules to be followed on the road must be defined. Since the proliferation of e-bikes and e-scooters in Maryland, MDOT worked with policy makers to define the vehicles and allow them mostly the same rights and responsibilities as traditional bicycles on our roadways.

• Maryland State laws that pertain to e-scooters and other Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices (EPAMD) can be found here: roads.maryland.gov/OPPEN/acom_bike_laws4.pdf
• Maryland State laws classifying e-bikes can be found in §11–117.1
• Additional research into e-vehicles is led by the CAV working group which coordinates for the development and deployment of emerging vehicle technologies in Maryland.

Accommodating micromobility in Complete Streets design standards and processes

Legal e-bikes, low speed e-scooters, and other legal micromobility vehicles follow the same regulations as traditional bicycles. The growing usage of micromobility vehicles therefore demonstrates the need for additional bicycle facilities, especially  where shared micromobility programs are present, Data from shared micromobility fleets can be easily collected and often includes valuable information like origin/destination, and sometimes the entire route travelled, all anonymized for user privacy. This data can be used to evaluate complete streets treatments and can inform future transportation planning decisions MDOT is working with local programs to harness the power of this data.

• One example is Baltimore's , which illustrates data collected from shared micromobility programs, including the average number of daily trips completed on certain roadways as well as total greenhouse gas emissions saved from people choosing micromobility over car travel.

Integrating micromobility as a first-last mile connector to transit

Micromobility can be critical in expanding access to and from transit. For example, the farthest most people are willing to walk to a transit stop is typically only about 1 mile, while research shows people will bike up to 3 miles to reach transit. Micromobility provides more opportunities for people to reach their destinations without relying on motor vehicles. MDOT is working to make these combination trips more reliable and convenient by building connections for people walking and biking, providing bicycle parking at transit stops and transit oriented development, and by including shared micromobility programs in transit user apps.

• Learn more about bikes and scooters to access MTA, including parking at stations, here.
• Learn more about bikes and scooters on MTA MARC Trains here.
• For more information about bike parking in Baltimore, MTA's core service area, please visit Baltimore City's Bike and Scooter parking website here.

Assisting local jurisdictions which manage permits or contracts for shared micromobility programs

While shared micromobility programs in Maryland are managed by local jurisdictions, MDOT still plays a role in supporting them. Since recommendations in the 2050 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, MDOT launched a working group of programs across the state. This group is working to share standards for operating the programs and for riding the shared vehicles. By establishing clear expectations for riders, the group aims to make riding safer for everyone. By aligning contracting documents, the working group aims to improve the Maryland market for operating companies like Lyft, Lime, Spin, VeoRide, and Bird.

• See the list of shared micromobility programs in Maryland below.

Recommended Reading and Resources

• NACTO Bike Share and Shared Micromobility Initiative: This is the page of the National Association of City Transportation Officials dedicated to the state of the practice, resources, and research on shared micromobility.
• Better Bikeshare Partnership: This is the homepage for the BBS partnership which aims to build equitable and replicable shared micromobility systems.
• NABSA: This is the homepage for the North American Bikeshare & Scootershare Association.
• Shared Use Mobility Center (SUMC): SUMC is a technical resource center funded by USDOT, which has developed a Micromobility Policy Atlas. They also offer annual reviews of shared mobility, like this one with the latest developments in 2024.
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Micromobility Page (PBIC)

Shared Micromobility Programs in Maryland

Several cities and counties in Maryland have micromobility programs, including both dockless and docked options. Dockless vehicles (e.g., e-scooters) do not need to be parked at a bike rack or other designated location, whereas docked vehicles (e.g., Capital Bikeshare bikes) need to be parked at designated locations.

Most micromobility programs operate as public-private partnerships between operators and local governments. This requires cooperation between operators and local governments to maintain equitable access, promote the safety of riders and non-riders and ensure transportation demand is met. Many local governments, such as the City of Baltimore, choose to issue annual permits to micromobility operators. The permitting structure allows local governments to maintain control of the program and adjust permit requirements as needed. Other municipalities, like the City of Annapolis, enter into single operator agreements through which a sole operator provides all of the City's micromobility services.

For more information about active micromobility programs in Maryland, please visit the different program websites below:

• Aberdeen: Dockless Vehicle Program | Program information
• Annapolis: Dockless Vehicle Service Contract | Program information
• Baltimore City: Dockless Vehicle Permit Program | Program Website
• Howard County: Dockless Vehicle Permit | Program information
• Montgomery County: Dockless Vehicle Permit and Capital Bikeshare | Program information
• Prince George's County: Capital Bikeshare | Program information
• Salisbury: Dockless Vehicle Permit | Program information
• University of Maryland: E-scooter and E-bike Registration | Program information