Local officials could authorize electric scooter programs as a new urban ride option under House legislation considered Monday.

The Transportation Committee heard testimony on House Bill 1633 sponsored by Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny, promoting the commercial e-ride option and private use of scooters as well.

HB1633 would apply to Pittsburgh, Scranton and 53 third-class cities.

Pennsylvania currently allows the sale of motorized scooters, but not their use. Despite that, scooter use is proliferating.

Kinkead said she wants to build on a pilot program operating in Pittsburgh from 2021 to 2023.

Transportation Committee Chair Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, said work is ongoing to fashion scooter legislation.

Scooters are seen as useful for quick, one-way trips in urban neighborhoods connecting someone to a workplace, store or mass transit station.

Riders pick up a scooter for a ride and then drop it off within a designated service area. They use a mobile phone app to access the scooter.

Kinkead touted scooters as a way to ease traffic congestion and bring mobility to neighborhoods underserved by mass transit and taxis.

“There are people trying to close the gap in public transit,” she said.

The Pittsburgh pilot operated under a temporary state authorization that expired in 2023. Kinkead called the pilot a success meeting transportation needs with more than 200,000 persons signed up to use scooters.

HB1633 sets a maximum legal speed of 20 mph and limits scooters to roads and bike lanes.

HB1633 has been written to provide for easier reporting of violations and stronger penalties for non-compliance by riders and operators, said Kinkead.

Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, said she’s drafting a bill amendment to address minor use of scooters.

Jonathan Greer, president of the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania, voiced concerns that some mid-sized cities may not have the resources to adequately enforce scooter laws.

Scooters are a low-powered, low-weight and low-speed way to move people to short destinations, said Carl Gravel of the Coalition for Active Mobility in Pennsylvania.