Rochester, NY Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

City Code § 34-3, added by Ordinance 2021-72, governs electric scooters citywide, which covers scooters used through an authorized shared scooter-sharing program as well as personally owned units; the definitions section confirms the City separately recognizes 'public scooter-sharing stations' authorized in the right-of-way under a City agreement. No one under 16 may operate or ride as a passenger on an electric scooter, and a rider 16 or older may not knowingly allow a person under 16 to ride one. Scooters may only be operated on streets with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less, and § 34-3(C) sets a hard 15-mile-per-hour speed cap for the scooter itself regardless of the posted street limit.

Riders must use a usable bike lane or cycle track where available, or otherwise the right-hand curb, edge of roadway or a usable shoulder, yielding to pedestrians at all times under Subsection B. Within the Center City District, sidewalk riding is barred except on Riverway Trail or multi-use trail segments; outside that district, riders 16 and older may use sidewalks, the trail or multi-use paths, but must ride single file. Scooters may carry only the rider, one at a time, with no backpack-style passenger carrying and no towing, and must be parked in designated scooter parking areas or at bike racks so they don't block pedestrian passage or accessible ramps.