The ride-sharing scooter program has been operating in the Culver City Real Estate area since July 1stand some residents, such as Martin Feinberg, Realtor, are wondering how the program has been going. Most city officials though believe that it’s probably still too early to tell.
The ride-sharing scooter program is a pilot program for dock-less scooter operators like Bird and Lime. Things have not gotten out of hand yet, but there have been some complaints, as well as a few positive comments.
“It’s certainly been a challenging issue,” said Mayor Thomas Small. “It’s been a rocky debut for most cities that have scooters. I think we’ve been lucky here in Culver City because we had some rules in place before they got here. “It’s gone more smoothly here than in other places,” Small added.
Since July 1, Culver City police have issued 175 citations for scooter violations. The violations ranged from riding without a helmet to riding without a valid driver’s license. Over the last six weeks Culver City has received 169 comments or complaints about scooters in the area:
- 49 of the comments were complaints about scooters blocking access to sidewalks.
- 29 complaints were related to riders on sidewalks.
- 18 complaints were related to riders without helmets.
- 17 were positive comments about the program.
Jesse Mays, assistant to the city manager, stated, “We are continuing to monitor the program and work with Bird and Lime to solve the problems that come up.”
Mays also said that Bird and Lime have been hit and miss when it comes to some of the program’s goals, particularly with response times to complaints. According to the ride-sharing scooter program rules, the two companies have to respond to any comments or complaints from residents and resolve them within two hours.
Not all communities have reacted to the ride-sharing scooters in the same way. Culver City is monitoring scooter programs in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, as wells as regulation at the state level, Mays said. They are also keeping an eye on West Hollywood, whose City Council voted to ban scooter operators in their city altogether.
However, local listing agent Martin Feinberg notes that Culver City officials believe that the ride-sharing scooter program will benefit their town.
“It’s definitely new technology and something that can benefit us in the long run and help reduce the number of cars on the roads,” Small said.
