Getting blindsided back in September when flocks of Birds were dumped randomly around Santa Monica, the city is now working to regulate and restrict the devices from cluttering and overrunning its streets. A pilot program will be proposed that would restrict the total number of dockless vehicles to 1,500 to be split between the three companies. Should the pilot program prove successful the cap would be able to increase upto 2,250.

A post shared by Jeff Tanner (@jeff_tanner) on Jun 3, 2018 at 7:18pm PDT

However, the restriction on vehicle numbers would not be the only regulation the pilot program presents. The program goes on and requires the companies to meet a minimum standard in education, maintenance, safety, customer care, data sharing and insurance.

The city has struggled to get riders to adhere to the laws in place for the scooters which are run by Bird and Lime currently. According to the city, SMPD has conducted over 623 stops and issued 302 citations from January to March 2018 and 809 stops with 366 citations in the month of May alone. Citations and stops can be made for various reasons including but not limited to underage riding, riding without a helmet, partner riding and disregarding traffic regulations.

A post shared by City of Santa Monica (@cityofsantamonica) on Mar 7, 2018 at 2:08pm PST

But this is not the first time Santa Monica has worked to regulate the scooters, filing a lawsuit against Bird for $300,000 plus concession in regarding its educational outreach and distribution operations. The city soon after enacted a temporary emergency ordinance on the dockless vehicle to enforce vending regulations as well as impounding vehicles that obstruct access or pose an immediate hazard to others, clarifying a $60 impound fee.

The city council will meet on Tuesday, June 12, at City Hall to discuss the proposed pilot program. The closed session begins at 5:30, followed by the open session at 6:30 p.m. The doors will open to the public precisely at 6:30 p.m. and no earlier.

Feature photo courtesy of Reuters. In post photos courtesy of Santa Monica City and Jeff Tanner’s Instagrams.

A post shared by Bird (@bird) on Apr 19, 2018 at 9:28am PDT

BIRD

Probably the most recognizable form of transportation in the area is Bird — a matte black scooter that you pay via an app to use and get where you need to go. You can find them on the beach, outside restaurants and even miles away in the heart of LA. These electric scooters have become the new way of life for many people in Santa Monica, finishing the last mile of their commute through this new form of transportation in the city. However, the city seems to be fighting the scooters, considering them a public nuisance to pedestrians as the scooters are carelessly parked in the middle of walkways or riders zooming past on the sidewalk. Still, they remain a convenient little way to cut down on using your car and struggling to find parking in the busy areas.

Ridin’ on sunshine @tmobile #thefreeride

A post shared by The Free Ride (@thefreerideinc) on Apr 17, 2018 at 3:42pm PDT

THE FREE RIDE

A convenient electric shuttle that picks people up and shuttles them to the nearest hotspot to your chosen destination. While you can’t be shuttled directly to anywhere you want, The Free Ride may be able to cut some distance off your walk or Uber to help save some money. The company operates purely on advertisements to make its money, decking out its shuttles in wrapped ads for major companies like T-Mobile and Corona Extra as well as putting placed ads inside the vehicle for users to interact with. The best part is that it is completely free and instead of having to move your car sometimes you can simply shuttle to the next closest hotspot.

A post shared by Breeze Bike Share (@breezebikeshare) on Apr 7, 2018 at 1:09pm PDT

BREEZE NOW

Like the Bird, Breeze Now uses bikes to provide a pay per minute transportation. However, unlike Bird, Breeze Now requires users to dock the bike upon the conclusion of their trip. The “Hulu Bikes” as people call them can be found stationed around Santa Monica for people to use — simply download the app, type in your account number and go. What separates Breeze Now’s bikes from the rest of the newest public transportation is the option to have a monthly or yearly subscription. Users who want to use the bikes daily or regularly can opt to pay $25 a month or $99 a year for a 90-minute daily ride. Riders who opt for a monthly or yearly subscription receive a card they simply swipe on the station and whisk away their new ride. Also, users can earn credits by returning undocked bikes to the nearby station.

Transportation in the LA County is getting revamped daily, and entrepreneurs continue to seek more and more ways to cut down on the LA traffic as well as finding more environmentally friendly transportation. Who knows, maybe in a couple of decades no one will have a car in Santa Monica anymore.

Photos courtesy of Belle Co on Pexel and Breeze Now, Bird and The Free Ride’s Instagrams and LimeBike.