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Living in one of our city’s most walkable neighborhoods, the rapid proliferation of app-based dockless bikes and scooters is hard to ignore. In response to local concern, the Los Angeles City Council plans to implement regulations limiting the number of vehicles allowed on city streets and sidewalks. Los Angeles follows on the heels of Santa Monica’s recently enacted 16-month pilot program allowing three providers to operate up to 1,500 devices. Bird, the most popular dockless scooter startup (recently valued at $1 billion), faced criminal charges in Santa Monica for operating without permits and

agreed to a six-figure settlement along with a public safety education campaign. Preliminary regulations for Los Angeles provide for a cap of 3,000 vehicles with incentives to serve low-income communities. The scooters are easy to use and cost only about $1 per ride plus fifteen cents per minute. The challenge is to find a balance between encouraging a new means of transportation while ensuring pedestrian and rider safety