The new rules include a ban on parking shared scooters and bikes anywhere but in city-approved corrals, a prohibition on sidewalk riding and an effort to make scooter companies more accountable for irresponsible riders.
There are three approved companies — Spin, Lime and Link — that can now provide their services across the city.
City Heights CDC Community Engagement Coordinator Jesse Ramirez said only one of the operators was currently in City Heights.
“A lot of our community members and residents rely on transit as their only mode of transportation," Ramirez said. "Some of them have to walk quite a distance to get to the transit stop. So definitely having these options would help a lot in the community. So I do see there’s a need.”
City Council president Sean Elo-Rivera said the roads in his district needed to be rideable for shared scooters and e-bikes.
“Council District 9 is home to some of the most dangerous intersections and streets within the City of San Diego. That is why my priority right now is to make sure our streets are safe for our youth, elders, cyclists and future scooter users,” he told KPBS in a written statement.
The number of total devices has been reduced from 11,000 to 8,000 across the city. Plus, companies must now verify that riders are over 16 years old.
Ramirez said adding more scooters or e-bikes would help to meet overall transportation needs of the area, especially with gas prices becoming unaffordable to many.
“I do see a lot of value in these new regulations, and I think it can help the City Heights community and other historically excluded communities a lot,” he said.
Alyssa Maxson Muto, with the city’s Mobility Department, said in a tweet that 54 new corrals have been added in Hillcrest, North Park and Cortez Hill over the past three months. She added that corrals will next be added in Council District 9 and the College Area.
