Rob Salinas/Houston Public Media
Several riders on e-scooters in East Downtown by ERYD on Nov. 16, 2025.
The Houston City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a measure that would ban the use of electric scooters during the overnight hours across the city, in an effort to reduce traffic collisions and fatalities involving the scooters.
The policy, set for the council’s agenda on Wednesday, would implement a curfew from 8 p.m.-4 a.m., preventing the use or distribution of the e-scooters citywide. It would also ban the distribution of scooters from “temporary structures.” It also creates a pathway for Houston police and the city’s parking authorities to impound scooters in violation of the proposed ordinance.
According to the city, 78% of emergency medical services’ calls related to e-scooters occur between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Since 2021, authorities have seized 129 scooters, given over 3,000 rider warnings and arrested eight individuals over the use of e-scooters.
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The proposed ordinance, though, has drawn pushback from both riders and the distributors of e-scooters. In August, a coalition of seven e-scooter companies publicly denounced the effort to restrict riding.
Officials had previously floated a blanket ban but settled on a compromise for a curfew. The curfew would encompass the entire city rather than focusing on specific areas, like East Downtown and Midtown.
Edgar Gonzalez, operation manager at ERYD scooter rentals — one of the companies in the coalition — said even the threat of a ban has had an impact on ridership.
“The good thing is we’re not banned, at least for right now, but yes, we’re always getting phone calls, ‘Hey, are you guys open? I thought scooters were banned?'” Gonzalez said. “Some of our locals just straight up just stopped coming in.”
The proposed ordinance has the support of the Houston First Corporation, a marketing arm of the city government.
“Our team has observed innumerable instances where scooters are ridden recklessly or operated in a manner that jeopardizes public safety and access to businesses,” Houston First President and CEO Michael Heckman said in a statement. “Moreover, riders frequently disregard traffic laws, increasing the risk of accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles. This has become the primary complaint we hear from our stakeholders in this area, including hotels, restaurants and retail establishments.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, the city council will hear public comment beginning at 6 p.m.