One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
In a last-minute swerve, Santa Monica decides on a light touch for electric scooter regulation
Bird and Lime scooters sit parked in front of a building on April 17, 2018 in San Francisco.
(
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:55
In a last-minute swerve, Santa Monica decides on a light touch for electric scooter regulation
Santa Monica was the first city to ever see electric scooters from Silicon Beach startup Bird popping up on city sidewalks. The dockless vehicles have quickly caught on with riders, but they've also become a nuisance to many residents.
On Tuesday night, Santa Monica city council members chose to regulate the scooter boom with a light touch. They set new fees and rules, but decided against a proposal to cap the number of scooters on city streets at 500 per company. Instead, scooter services will be allowed to keep adding more vehicles as long as they're each getting used about three times per day.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
