TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Section 10.71 relating to a Shared Micromobility Device Program, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On February 19, 2019, the City Council received information and acted to initiate a shared micromobility program, which includes a request to the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance amending Section 10.51 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) governing the use of services aimed at providing micromobility options for residents. The City Council requested the maximum number of units be limited to 4,000, going up to 6,000 units after a six-month review and compliance with program rules by the operators. During discussion, the City Council requested staff return with an updated fee schedule for the program.
Staff did a significant amount of research on similar sized e-scooter programs and interfaced directly with the cities of Santa Monica, Culver City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to better understand how e-scooters are being regulated. Many of the issues found in Long Beach during the pilot program are also being experienced by our sister cities in the region. All cities with e-scooters require a commitment of resources to ensure safe operation and compliance with adopted rules. In turn, new fee structures are common to collect funds directly from vendors who are making a profit from their operations in the cities’ public rights-of-way to help offset costs of enforcement and administration of micromobility programs.
To manage the large number of devices throughout the City and ensure full compliance with the permit rules, added resources will be needed. Additional work will include managing the deployment of scooters, enforcement of the Ordinance and program guidelines, interacting with vendors, compiling data, and addressing public inquiries and concerns.
At the February 19, 2019 City Council meeting, staff presented information on fees colle...
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