What to Know
- Thousands of more scooters will be on city streets soon.
- The city of Los Angeles is planning to step up enforcement, as companies say they have their own prevention plans.
- Seven companies have been allowed 3,000 of their e-rides to hit the road in places like Koreatown, Venice, Westwood, Sherman Oaks and Palms.
Seven companies have been allowed 3,000 of their e-rides to hit the road in Koreatown, Venice, Westwood, Sherman Oaks and Palms, according to an update by the city of Los Angeles' Department of Transportation plan for electric scooters and similar dockless vehicles.
"We launched in LA just last week," said Ariella Steinhorn, a spokeswoman for Spin.
She said they have 1,000 scooters now, but will eventually ramp up to 10,000 allowed by the city's year-long permit. All operators will have the option to add to their fleet, if they branch out to low-income communities. And the city says residents will soon be able to report improperly parked and broken-down scooters through MyLA311.
Scooter operators will have two hours during a certain period of the day to pick them up. This service is covered by the permit fees from each operator, the DOT adds.
"Having people on the ground at all times who are properly trained to be setting them up in the right way and also taking them off the streets if they are damaged is really important," Steinhorn said about Spin's plan to have employees checking on the ground.
Earlier this week, the NBC4 I-Team reported the unique technology that will track and keep tabs on scooters across the city.
Operators must share their data with the city to get a permit, officials said.
The city's technology will also monitor any devices parked in one location for more than five days. They will be removed at the operator expense.
NBC4 asked about the city's updated plan:
Bird's full statement:
"Bird is proud of serve Angelenos with our environmentally friendly option, and we do so per the rules the City of LA has outlined for shared e-scooters in the city. Additionally, we look forward to applying to be part of LA's year-long pilot program and building upon our partnership with LA DOT, city officials, and staff."
Lyft's full statement:
"Since last year, Lyft has served both Los Angeles and Santa Monica with our new scooters. We're excited about the possibility of bringing more mobility options to Angelenos and giving them another affordable and convenient way to get around." - David Fairbank, market manager, Lyft Bikes & Scooters, Los Angeles
Jump's full statement:
"We announced in October that Uber was the first company to receive a permit from the city of Los Angeles to operate ebikes and scooters, and we started rolling out a mix of up to 3,000 scooters of them at that time. More details are in the blog post, here.
Lime's full statement:
"Lime continues to be excited to work with the City of Los Angeles to ensure that mobility options are provided in every part of the City, giving residents good choices that help to alleviate traffic and emissions. Lime is committed to safety and will be working closely with neighborhoods to make its operations safe for riders, pedestrians and all residents. As part of its extensive community outreach efforts, Lime has met with more than fifty local neighborhood groups within the City of Los Angeles. We are currently operating with a Conditional Use Permit and look forward to getting our full permit so we can serve continue to serve Los Angeles at scale, grow our fleet and improve service and access to the entire City."
