Regulation .02 Definitions.
Current through 2026-01-20. Source: COBRA Register Volume 04, Issue 02. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.
Balt., Md., COBRA § 14.02.01.02 (2026)
Regulation .02 Definitions.LinkCopy Citation
A.
In <cite data-path="14.02.01">this chapter</cite>, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B.
Terms Defined.
(1)
Adaptive Dockless Vehicle.
(a)
“Adaptive dockless vehicle” means a dockless vehicle that is accessible to people with a physical disability.
(b)
“Adaptive dockless vehicle” includes a motorized or non-motorized:
(a)
Recumbent bicycle;
(b)
Tricycle; and
(c)
Hand cycle.
(2)
Alternative Deployment Location.
(a)
“Alternative deployment location” means an area other than a public street.
(b)
“Alternative deployment location” includes:
(i)
A park;
(ii)
A plaza;
(iii)
A parking lot;
(iv)
Private property; or
(v)
A transit station.
(3)
Applicant.
(a)
“Applicant” means a person applying for an initial dockless vehicle permit.
(b)
“Applicant” does not include a permit holder applying for the renewal of a dockless vehicle permit.
(4)
“Application Programming Interface endpoint (API)” means a protocol that enables a software application to:
(a)
Communicate with another platform; or
(b)
Exchange data.
(5)
“Beta endpoint” means an API endpoint that has been officially released in a testing mode by its regulatory authority but not formally adopted.
(6)
“Block face” means one side of a street between the intersection of two other streets, excluding an alleyway.
(7)
“Community event” means an event held by:
(a)
A community organization as recognized by the City’s Online Community Association Directory; or
(b)
Another organization as deemed appropriate by the Director.
(8)
“Compliance score” means a calculation of a permit holder’s compliance with the provisions of <cite data-path="14.02.01">this chapter</cite>.
(9)
“CPSC” means the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
(10)
“Department” means the Baltimore City Department of Transportation.
(11)
“Deployment” means the location where a dockless vehicle is placed by a permit holder when it is made available for rent.
(12)
“Deployment district” means a geographic area designated in the Department’s MDS Policy API for tracking the distribution of dockless vehicles.
(13)
“Director” means the Director of the Department of Transportation.
(14)
“Dockless corral” means a geographic location designated by the Department where a dockless vehicle may be parked.
(15)
“Dockless vehicle” has the meaning stated in <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Code" data-path="|31|§38-1|(b)">City Code Article 31, § 38-1(b)</cite>.
(16)
“E-bike” has the meaning stated in <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Code" data-path="|31|§38-1|(d)">City Code Article 31, § 38-1(d)</cite>.
(17)
"E-scooter" has the meaning stated in <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Code" data-path="|31|§38-1|(e)">City Code Article 31, § 38-1(e)</cite>.
(18)
“Equitable access” means a process of making dockless vehicles available to the public by removing barriers to use including:
(a)
Geography;
(b)
Income;
(c)
Banking status; or
(d)
Inclusion in a federally protected class.
(19)
“Equity zone” means a geographic location where a dockless vehicle is deployed for equitable access as designated in the official document provided by the Department to a permit holder.
(20)
“Fleet” means the total number of dockless vehicles operated by a permit holder in Baltimore City, regardless of whether they are available for rent.
(21)
“Genetic information” means genetic markers related to a person’s medical history, including the manifestation of a:
(a)
Disease; or
(b)
Disorder.
(22)
“Geo-fencing” means a location-based service that uses GPS or cellular data to identify when a mobile device or dockless vehicle enters or exits a virtual geographic boundary.
(23)
“GitHub” means a code hosting platform.
(24)
“Low-income population” means a person whose family income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line
(25)
“MDS” means Mobility Data Specification.
(26)
“MDS Policy API” means the Open Mobility Foundation standards and code available on GitHub for secure mobility data exchange.
(27)
“New permit holder” means a provider of dockless vehicles who has:
(a)
Not previously been issued a permit to operate on a public street by the Department; or
(b)
Not held a permit in the previous year.
(28)
Non-deployment Request.
(a)
“Non-deployment request” means a request from a member of the public to prevent the deployment of a dockless vehicle in front of their property.
(b)
“Non-deployment request” includes a vehicle deployed by a dockless vehicle permit holder.
(c)
“Non-deployment request” does not include a vehicle parked by a user.
(29)
“OMF” means Open Mobility Foundation.
(30)
“Overconcentration” means the deployment of more than 25 percent of a permit holder’s fleet in a single deployment district.
(31)
“Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards” means the set of guidelines designed to ensure companies that process credit card information maintain a secure environment.
(32)
“Parking corral” means an area designated by the Department where a dockless vehicle may be parked.
(33)
“Permit” means a dockless vehicle permit as provided in <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Code" data-path="|31|§38-8">City Code Article 31, § 38-8</cite>.
(34)
“Permit agreement” means a document that is entered into between the City and a permit holder that:
(a)
Stipulates required insurance coverage for a permit holder to operate in Baltimore City;
(b)
Stipulates that the permit holder is obligated to adhere to applicable laws and regulations to operate in Baltimore City; and
(c)
Outlines procedures for the cessation of operations prior to the end of a permit.
(35)
“Permit holder” means a provider of dockless vehicles who has been issued a permit by the Department to operate on a public street.
(36)
“Permit year” means the period from July 1 to June 30 annually.
(37)
“Person” has the meaning stated in <cite data-doc="Md. Code" data-path="ggp|1-107">General Provisions Article § 1-107, </cite>City Code.
(38)
“Referral agency” means a government assistance program that provides services to individuals who qualify as low-income.
(39)
<em>“</em>Remote shut down notice” means a written communication from the Department sent via e-mail to a permit holder instructing the permit holder to shut down the entirety or a portion of their fleet in Baltimore City.
(40)
Seizure.
(a)
“Seizure” means the act of removing a dockless vehicle in violation of <cite data-path="14.02.01">this chapter</cite> from:
(i)
City property; or
(ii)
An area inaccessible to a permit holder.
(b)
“Seizure” includes the act of:
(i)
Towing;
(ii)
Impoundment; and
(iii)
Retrieval from a body of water.
(41)
“Speed governor” means a device that ensures the motor of a dockless vehicle is incapable of traveling at a speed in excess of a mandated speed limit on level ground.
(42)
“Street” has the meaning stated in <cite data-doc="Md. Code" data-path="ggp|1-109">General Provisions Article § 1-109, </cite>City Code.
(43)
“Third-party” means a person that is not the permit holder that may access data related to the operation of dockless vehicles.
(44)
“Third-party aggregator” means an organization that processes data from one or more sources for use by the City.
(45)
“Towing Division” means the Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s Towing Division.
(46)
“Tree pit” means an area of the street where a tree is planted.
(47)
“Underserved population” means a group of people that:
(a)
Has limited or no access to resources; or
(b)
Is otherwise disenfranchised.
(48)
“Vehicle model” means a vehicle of the certain type, but with different features or appearance.
(49)
“Vehicle type” means a vehicle that meets specifications in the City’s vehicle code for that vehicle.
(50)
“Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)” means guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative to make web content accessible.