🛴 What new e-scooters could mean for Denver’s streets

🛴 Is It Time For a New Era of E-Scooters?

It’s (almost) official. Pending approval from City Council, Denver is set to kick off an exclusive new e-scooter partnership with micromobility company Veo in May when its current contracts with Bird and Lime expire. If the contract gets the greenlight from council, local scooter commuters can expect a whole new ride.

• Why Veo? After putting out a call for proposals, city officials chose Veo, praising the company for its commitment to safety, affordability, and equity, and adding that working with a single provider will make things simpler for riders and regulations. [Denverite]
• More options: Veo wants to deploy five micromobility options for Denverites, including: standing and seated e-scooters, a cargo e-bike, a two-seater e-bike, and a first-of-its-kind tricycle. (Our friends at Westword tried them all.)
• Stricter on safety: To get on a Veo vehicle, riders will need to pass an in-app safety quiz before their first ride. The vehicles will also alert you if you break a rule as you ride, and automatically slow down in speed-restricted areas. [Axios Denver]
• Gizmos and gadgets: Every vehicle comes with a cup holder, phone stand, and a “how’s my parking?” QR code. Some will have turn signals and rear-view mirrors as well. [Westword]
• The cost: Rides across all the vehicles will cost 25 cents per minute, almost half of what Bird and Lime charge. Eligible low-income riders can ride for free (as they currently do with Lime). [Westword]
• Behind the scenes: City officials approved stricter micromobility regulations last spring, including requiring e-scooters and e-bikes to utilize sidewalk detection technology. [Axios Denver]
• Next steps: All of these details are only tentative, and can still be changed throughout negotiations. The contract proposal is scheduled to go before the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on March 18, then the full council on March 30.

🎧 Want more? We dig into the details of the Veo rollout on today’s podcast episode. Tune in now ⬇️

🛤️ Help Name the Front Range Passenger Rail

The public is invited to help name the train that will soon ferry people from Pueblo to Fort Collins. You have until March 23 to vote for your favorite of the four finalists: The Colorado Connector (CoCo), the Front Range Express Destinations (FRED), the Colorado Ranger, or RangeLink.

• Your pitch: Think you could have come up with something better? We’re dying to hear your ideas! Reply to this email, or leave us a text message or voicemail at 720-500-5418 💌
• Our reactions: Hear our thoughts on the proposed name choices in today’s podcast episode. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🤘 Battle of the Music Festivals

The inaugural edition of a new DIY music festival, Blucifer’s First Rodeo, has announced its performance lineup and its dates, July 23-26 — the same weekend as the long beloved (but newly relocated) Underground Music Showcase. What’s more, Blucifer’s festival is posting up along South Broadway, UMS’ former stomping grounds. Coincidence? We think not 👀 [Westword]

🔊 Ford Amphitheater Noise Fight Goes Before Lawmakers

The long-standing dispute over noise levels coming out of Colorado Springs’ Ford Amphitheater is expected to heat up again at a Senate committee hearing on March 12, where lawmakers are set to consider a new proposal that would restore the authority over noise ordinances to local governments. Critics fear the bill will circumvent statewide noise protections. [Westword]

• The details: A local group calling itself Ford Hurts Families already has an ongoing lawsuit against Ford Amphitheater, which reads in part:
  
  “Plaintiffs purchased their homes and raised their families in these communities years, sometimes decades, before the amphitheater opened. They did not move to a concert venue; a concert venue moved to them.”

⛽ Fuel Mixup Fallout

State officials fined Sinclair gas stations $365,694 following a widespread diesel contamination in its regular fuel supply that caused mechanical issues in the cars of thousands of customers. An investigation into the January incident found that a Sinclair employee mistakenly left a fuel valve open causing the contamination. The state is fining Sinclair $1 for every gallon of bad gas sold. [Denverite]