The College Station city council Thursday directed staff to prepare an ordinance for action next month to regulate OFO rental bicycles based at Texas A&M University.
OFO began with 850 bicycles last February, and plans to expand to at least 3,000 bicycles for the fall semester.
OFO statistics provided to the council include more than 15,000 registered users between February 27 and June 7.
During that period, 170,000 trips have been taken. Two percent, or 3,400 trips, were described as “non-compliant”.
The draft ordinance establishes geo-fence and home zones where the rental bicycles will and will not be able to operate.
The yellow bicycles would also be required to be moved within two hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and within 12 hours during all other times.
The city would enforce the ordinance through issuing citations and either removing, relocating, or impounding the bicycles.
The draft ordinance calls for OFO to pay an annual fee of $750 dollars, a relocation fee of $125 per bicycle, fines of up to $500 dollars per offense for violating the ordinance, and post a performance bond in an escrow amount of $5,000 dollars.