As West Hollywood grapples with electric scooters and bikes, WEHOville keeps an eye on how the rest of the world is dealing with the burgeoning micromobility industry.
● Cincinnati just began requiring electric scooter companies to have insurance policies. — Full story at cincinnati.com
● Bird Global announced Friday that it has launched an accessible mobility program in the city of San Diego, allowing residents and visitors with disabilities to reserve and use “accessible vehicles” such as electric wheelchairs. — Full story at KUSI News
● More than three years after the city killed off a troubled pilot e-bike and e-scooter program, electric scooters are coming back to Reno. The Reno City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved an exclusive three-year contract with Bird, a California-based scooter company, if the company can meet several conditions before launching. —Full story at the Reno Gazette Journal
● What are some steps cities are taking or can take to facilitate the safe and responsible use of these devices? “Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. If you build the right infrastructure — and that’s basically safe, protected bike lanes — then you’ll see more of these uses.” A Q&A with Benjie de la Peña, chief executive of the Shared-Use Mobility Center. — Full story at the The Washington Post.
● Increased use of scooters and electric bikes is believed to be behind a spike in Melbourne, Australia, hospital casualties. It comes as users return to roads after lockdown, prompting an increase in emergency department admissions. During lockdown, the Alfred Hospital reported a plunge in its usual trauma figures, with just half the number of typical cases. However, this has climbed by 30 per cent since restrictions eased, with doctors acknowledging an increase in electric bike and scooter casualties.— Full story at news.com.au
As far as the “infrastructure” argument goes, do people really expect the City to widen the Blvd, just east of City Hall, on SMB, where it isn’t even possible? Are they going to widen Fountain Ave? How about Sunset? Logistically, it isn’t even possible, or affordable, on many major thoroughfares. As an avid cyclist, I know where I should and should not stay on the major thoroughfares, which I try to avoid, all-together. A scooter, ridden *on the street,* should be respected for space, just like cyclists should be, by motorists. This is California law. When I’m on my bike,… Read more »
Nimbys in the comments.
Scooters aren’t going anywhere.
Hey boomer, that “nimby” thing is played-out, just like scooters.
Naw, it is no more true than ever.
You and WehoFan should have a meeting about it.
Who needs to meet about it? All I have to do is follow many comments on this site. And see the same people, spouting the same things, complaining about any change to their neighborhoods. Which would include scooters, “out zones,” any new development of just about any kind, etc.. I have lived in the neighborhood for 22 years, and I welcome change. I expected change, when I moved here. There are some people who just want nothing to ever change. I welcome change, even though I’m sad to see some old businesses close. And that change would include homeless services… Read more »
As a person who struggles with peripheral neuropathy, scooters have been a godsend. I am only able to walk short distances without pain and scooters have extended my ability to enjoy my neighborhood. I am grateful that they are here.
I know people who have bought their own.
The LASD is run by a lawless thug so why would you expect them to patrol scooter use?
Do you even know his name?
West Hollywood has always proudly been known as a walkable city.
With these scooters you walk at your own risk!
I hate the scooters!
The debacle of scooters is another example of West Hollywood politicians not listening to residents and taxpayers. West Hollywood feels like a little dictatorship with the three junior council members voting in a block on all substantial issues.
As a serious recreational and commuter cyclist, I abhor the way these devices are being rolled out. Protected bike lanes would be an enormous help. Even so, there needs to be a pu live education program so that actual and potential users, and the people they interact with, know the rules: If you are on two wheels you are a vehicle and belong on the street, moving in the same direction as the vehicular traffic you are riding with, observing the same vehicle code rules that they do. You should ride predictably. You should ride defensively and with acute awareness… Read more »
These anti-community, for-profit companies simply want to nickel and dime individuals into taking singular, compulsive, dangerous and reckless recreational and unnecessary joy-rides in dense urban environments at the expense of public safety and pedestrian life. The blight and sense of lawlessness and unaccountability that this on-demand business has created all over the globe is unconscionable and does nothing to make the world any better. Zero, Nada, Zilch.
NO, NAY, NEVER
Transportation for the insane.
Unconscionable? Ha ha. Wow. You forgot to designate everyone who uses these as on “joy rides,” as you’ve previously stated, so many times. Be sure to include those who responsibly ride these, and use them for practical purposes, like closing the gap between their walk to points of mass transportation. Or those who stay off the sidewalk, take side streets, etc.. They are *all,* “joy-riders.” I’ve said it a million times now. If you want people to stay off the sidewalks, please ask the Council and/or the Sheriff’s Dept. to actually do their jobs, with enforcement. Have you ever once… Read more »
The Sheriff’s department should be confronted as to why they don’t enforce penalties on those who ride them on sidewalks.
I hate these things generally, but at least give us that. It is very dangerous to pedestrians to have riders come up behind them, usually at full speed.
I FULLY agree!!,
The program should be suspended until technology is in place to deactivate a scooter if it goes onto a sidewalk. The technology does exists.
Three months ago I had some personal interaction with Kristen Cook and Moulder and they did not appear to be motivated any time soon. not encouraging.
The Sheriff’s department is never confronted. No one who could make a difference in demanding accountability by the LASD has the courage or integrity to do so. We are at the mercy of whatever the LASD does to us and even worse what individual deputies decide on their own what is best. I challenge Wehoville to obtain a copy of the sensitivity training for WH LASD. It is disturbingly offensive to the LGBTQ community, the Jewish Community and the Russian Community. I have a feeling that the sensitivity tracing policy is being changed now that they know I have a… Read more »
If you have it why don’t YOU make it public?
I’ve been beating this drum for years, since this “controversy” started. Just like people speeding, running through red lights, jaywalkers, etc., it is the job of local law enforcement to enforce our laws. Have they? Nope.