WATCH: WeHo’s guide to e-scooters and e-bikes

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On July 1, 2021, the City of West Hollywood launched its Dockless Mobility pilot program with e-scooters and e-bikes from Bird, Lime, and Wheels. The City of West Hollywood now permits the use and operation of e-scooters and e-bikes. Currently, Lime and Bird will operate e-scooters; Wheels will operate Class-2 throttle assist e-bikes. 

The pilot program is part of the City of West Hollywood’s efforts to expand its transportation network by supporting a range of environmentally sustainable options to get around the City and to connect to the region-at-large. The City of West Hollywood works regularly with residents, businesses, and the community-at-large to develop innovative solutions to transportation challenges and to balance the needs of people who walk, bike, use transit, and drive in the City of West Hollywood.

FAQs

Where can I create an account to rent an e-scooter or e-bike? 

To use e-scooters and e-bikes from Bird, Lime, and Wheels in West Hollywood, individuals must create an account with the company of their choice – Bird and Lime for e-scooters and Wheels for Class-2 throttle assist e-bikes:

Where will I be able to pick-up or park an e-scooter or e-bike? 

While e-scooters and e-bikes will be dockless, to ensure they are parked safely and legally, the City of West Hollywood’s has created parking stations adjacent to major intersections. While the City encourages the use the stations for parking, devices may be parked in any off-street location that does not block pedestrian access to the sidewalk; devices should never be parked in a way that blocks pedestrian activity and access.

View an interactive map of the West Hollywood dockless mobility parking station locations: https://arcg.is/1jyGya

Click the image below to download or enlarge a pdf version of the station locations:

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Dockless Mobility Parking Stations 07.13.21_Website
What types of e-bikes and e-scooters will be available? 
scootersbikes
Are there any rules or instructions I must follow on roads and sidewalks?

Users of e-scooters and e-bikes must have a valid driver license or instructional permit and must wear a helmet while riding. Only one person is allowed on a device at a time and e-scooters and e-bikes must be ridden on the road, never on the sidewalk. Users are advised to ride as far to the right side of traffic lane or in designated and marked bike lanes whenever possible and users must always ride in the direction of traffic.

Will I be required to wear a helmet? 

Helmets are required for riders who are 18 years old or younger. 

Can anyone ride an e-scooter or e-bike?

All riders must have a valid License or Permit to register to ride an e-scooter or e-bike

What if I want to ride on the sidewalk?

E-scooters and e-bikes must be ridden on the road, never on the sidewalk. Ride as far to the right as you can and always in the direction of traffic.

Where can the scooters and bikes be ridden? 

Both scooters and bikes must be ridden on the road, never on the sidewalk. 

May I ride an e-scooter or e-bikes in a bike lane? 

Yes, ride in the bike lane whenever possible. 

If I have additional questions or concerns, how may I reach out to the City of West Hollywood? 

To ensure quality of life concerns are addressed, we welcome feedback. If you have concerns, such as interrupted pedestrian activity or access, submit them using the Service Request function on the City’s website or through the West Hollywood Official City App, which is available as a free download for iPhone users on the App Store and for Android users on Google Play. Concerns and feedback may be submitted by email, as well, at [email protected] or by phone at (213) 247-7720.

For additional information, please contact Rachel Dimond at [email protected] or (323) 848-6486, or Coby Wagman at [email protected] or (323) 848-6514.

To contact Wheels directly, please email [email protected] or call (888) 240-7120.

Background/Links

Call for Applications 2.0:
https://www.weho.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=41369  

Ordinance:
https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=22&clip_id=3587&meta_id=198460  

West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition Letter of Support:
https://weho.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=22&clip_id=3540&meta_id=191398  

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Josh Kurpies
Josh Kurpies
3 years ago

What was the purpose of this video? It fails to provide clear and accurate information of the law and what is expected of users. Here is an example from 2018 in the City of Santa Monica: https://youtu.be/wCBgBvWCLqs. Here’s an example from 2019 at UCLA: https://youtu.be/3uCnNhI5Cw8

Santa Monica has over three years of experience in addressing community concerns and collecting data. Likewise, the City of Los Angeles has been collecting scooter use data. WeHo should not be recreating the wheel here.

Idiocy
Idiocy
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Kurpies

Thank you for the perspective on this. An incorrect assumption that WeHo’s Public Safety Department would have been aware of this information leads to further questions about their ability to synthesize it and appropriately apply it to the immediate community. Highly paid city staff residing in their respective silos would be well advised to holistically involve themselves in the process and responsibility of their position effecting a solution and not get terminally stuck in the process lane.

Jokesters
Jokesters
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Kurpies

If this video is any example, Weho social media is shallow and ineffective public service messaging.

Idiocy
Idiocy
3 years ago

This guy comes across as a genuine idiot and whoever designed this perhaps a bigger idiot that apparently works for the city and is liberally compensated. Adults in West Hollywood need guidelines and rules that one would provide for 4 year olds because that is their level of comprehension. That is how children learn good habits. Strict enforcement should be the rule or behavior will not improve.

Idiocy
Idiocy
3 years ago
Reply to  Idiocy

Please scratch the first sentence of the comment, it was unnecessary and detracts from the heart of the issue. On many sites the provider installs an “edit” button, asking if perhaps that could happen at Wehoville.

Randy
Randy
3 years ago

And of course, bring on the NIMBY complainers! AGAIN! Whether you support or oppose these, you should appreciate that the city is at least trying to educate people. Now, if they could get the LASD to enforce the law, we could all settle down, just a little bit. But I don’t ever see that happening. Concerned about public safety? Contact them. Or a Councilmember. Or call into a Council meeting.

David
David
3 years ago
Reply to  Randy

The idea that this can be controlled (apart from not having them) is silly. The council can either ban them or allow them to be placed in WeHo. And nobody is going to read this article and say, oh now I understand I shouldn’t run people over and leave this in the middle of the sidewalk! I would guess most residents feel they are a public nuisance. I would be fine with them if people rode and parked responsibly, but this often isn’t the case.

David
David
3 years ago

I wouldn’t mind it if weren’t that half of them are basically human projectiles who barely care about their own continued existence, let alone the remainder of humanity. Other than that, they’re great!

Last edited 3 years ago by David
Ruth Williams
Ruth Williams
3 years ago

These scooters are a disaster waiting to happen. When I was on the PSC, we unanimously voted against them and the “robots” delivering food. They are dangerous, scooter riders run thru red lights as if they don’t apply to them, ride down Santa Monica Blvd on the sidewalks and when if they manage to avoid hitting anyone walking, when they reach their destination they just throw them on the sidewalk, street,or leave them in front of our apartment buildings.

voter
voter
3 years ago

There are too many scooters being driven on the sidewalk, mostly 15-30 year old men with smug looks–avoiding eye contact. They’re a clear hazard and should be re-banned.

David
David
3 years ago
Reply to  voter

That’s totally not true. Some of them have more of a smirk.

Not Serious
Not Serious
3 years ago

This nonsensical little piece of “public safety entertainment” shows how serious the Public Safety & Transportation Departments about the safety of pedestrians. If the nutty scooter riders want to be fools let them do it in traffic where they belong.

Manny
Manny
3 years ago
Reply to  Not Serious

Correct. They aren’t serious and prefer to try and be funny. All while not including in this scooter “commercial” the most important message: NO RIDING ON SIDEWALKS!

trackback

[…] for Android users onGoogle Play. Concerns and feedback may be submitted by email, as well, at[email protected]or by phone at (213) […]

TomSmart
TomSmart
3 years ago

Doesn’t WEHO have a law that permits bikes on the sidewalk if and only if there’s no dedicated bike lane???? (I mean, not that anyone pays attention to any laws, and not that WEHO backs it up with citations, thus it’s all useless dribble really anyway huh?)

Not Serious
Not Serious
3 years ago
Reply to  TomSmart

Dear Tom, although the words “drivel” and “dribble” appear to be used interchangeably describing “drool”, they have become differentiated. To criticize someone or the city’s words as pointless or stupid, the best word is “drivel”. We don’t want the city to be drooling on its residents. That would require yet another ordinance to be enforced(?) by the drooling law enforcement actors.

TomSmart
TomSmart
3 years ago
Reply to  Not Serious

Being an avid sportsman, my word is a basketball reference. Dribble the ball and going nowhere.

hifi5000
hifi5000
3 years ago

The e-scooters I ever seen have been ridden with drivers who are not wearing helmets.For some reason,governor Newsom passed a regulation allowing drivers to not have to wear helmets while on these e-scooters.I thought this was wrong.

Any driver on a e-scooter needs to have a helmet.Otherwise,they going to end up with a serious brain injury or worse,dead. Can West Hollywood through city ordinances require helmets?

Joshua88
Joshua88
3 years ago
Reply to  hifi5000

Helmets are required for riders who are 18 years old or younger.

Steve Martin
Steve Martin
3 years ago
Reply to  Joshua88

Yeah and I always keep a helmet in my purse. Helmets are mandated but not provided, which is how the City hopes of avoid liability. As much as these things are great fun, I don’t see a lot of people wearing helmets and the City does not seem too concerned. Now if they were smoking while riding, then City Hall would be outraged, (unless they were smoking marijuana).

Bad Scooter
Bad Scooter
3 years ago

WATCH motorized e-scooters illegally riding on the sidewalks all over West Hollywwod:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqWQzyZiFhQ

NO BUENO Weho City!

Kelly Thomas
Kelly Thomas
3 years ago

The program should be suspended until installation of devices which disable the scooters if they go onto a sidewalk. There are simply too many irresponsible riders posing serious danger to pedestrians.

Not Serious
Not Serious
3 years ago
Reply to  Kelly Thomas

If shopping carts can have a mechanism to disable them scooters should as well.

Steve Martin
Steve Martin
3 years ago
Reply to  Not Serious

You’re all just making too much sense.