Scooters owned by the dockless scooter-sharing company Bird. (Courtesy Image / Bird)

Under an ordinance Boston Mayor Marty Walsh filed on Monday, electric scooter-sharing companies like Bird and LIME could soon be able to operate in Boston.

The ordinance establishes minimum safety standards for shared mobility businesses, such as e-scooter companies, and authorizes the Boston Transportation Department to pilot and license shared mobility companies that want to do business in Boston, according to an announcement from Walsh’s office.

“Our streets and sidewalks are public resources, and we want to ensure that mobility options in our city are safe, reliable, and equitable,” Walsh said in a statement. “We’re committed to creating a strong transportation network by investing in both short and long-term projects that will create greater transportation access for all users of our city’s streets. This ordinance will help create a stronger, safer transportation network across Boston.”

The proposed ordinance would require shared mobility businesses, such as e-scooter companies, to have a license from the Boston Transportation Department in order to operate in the city. The ordinance establishes minimum requirements for licensure, such as prohibiting blockage of curb ramps and authorizes the department to set standards for data-sharing and distribution of vehicles. An advisory committee, comprised of representatives from the Disabilities Commission, the Environment Department and the Office of New Urban Mechanics, will help inform regulations and policies as the industry evolves.

Nationally, electric scooter-sharing is being eyed by many cities as a way to get drivers out of cars for short trips, alongside bicycle-sharing, and connecting people across the “last mile” between public transit and their destinations.

The proposed ordinance would go into effect 90 days after passage and will complement the legislation filed on Beacon Hill to regulate these transportation options throughout the state. Under current law, electric scooters are banned because they do not have turn signals and other equipment needed on faster, gasoline-powered scooters.