Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
Santa Monica E-Scooters Now Blocked From Some Places By A Virtual Fence
A man and woman ride a shared dockless electric scooter along Venice Beach on Aug. 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Under Santa Monica rules, only one rider is allowed per a scooter. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The scooters get to stay in Santa Monica for now, but under conditions set out by officials flooded by complaints about the shared mobility devices.
Santa Monica officially kicked off its shared mobility program Monday with this photo op.
And they’re off! Company leaders at Lyft, Jump, Bird, Lime and Breeze take their ride-sharing devices for their first spin under the new 16-month pilot program to Santa Monica Pier. pic.twitter.com/aU5At2PJVk
— Caleigh Wells (@cgrey307) September 17, 2018
Bird, Lime, JUMP and Lyft are the four companies that will be part of the 16-month program. Each will get to operate 750 vehicles, and a newly-formed community advisory group will give feedback to each of the companies about how the pilot is going.
The first order of business is user education. That comes in the form of more notifications in the device apps and signs around Santa Monica with rules for riding. Those rules include:
JUMP shared bicycles are lined up as Santa Monica launches its mobility devices pilot program.
- wearing a helmet (Bird has given away more than 50,000 helmets as part of the new user education plan.)
- carrying a driver's license
- one person per scooter
- riding in bike lanes and in the streets rather than on the sidewalks
- and storing them properly when riders are finished
The other condition is geofencing. That's a fancy way of saying that the shared device will know where it is in town and slow down or stop when it enters a place it's not allowed to go. Then the user will receive a notification telling them to turn around.
Sponsored message
While some of the rules aren't new, city officials say police will issue citations for violations. They've issued over 1,000 so far, and the fines run around $200.
News happens every day. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you and the community you live in. Now that we're part of KPCC, those stories (including this one you're on right now!) are made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism isn't cheap, but with your support we can keep delivering it. Donate now.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
