Bird, Jump, Lime and Lyft Picked For Santa Monica's Pilot Program

SANTA MONICA, CA – Lime, Bird, Lyft and Jump (owned by Uber) were selected as the four operators to participate in the Santa Monica Shared Mobility Pilot Program set to kick off on September 17, the City announced Thursday. The pilot program builds upon the City’s existing Breeze Bike Share system, and expands Santa Monica’s commitment to be a truly multi-modal community that offers residents and visitors a variety of sustainable and convenient transportation options.

City Council directed staff to create the pilot program in June 2018, including the selection of up to four shared electric mobility device operators. Each of the four selected will begin the pilot with an initial allocation of 750 devices each, totaling 1,000 e-bikes and 2,000 e-scooters, according to the press release.

After the launch, the number of devices each company is authorized may increase or decrease based on utilization and performance, the City said. The approved e-scooters and e-bikes will work alongside the network of human-powered Breeze bikes, which were launched in November 2015 and now boast a fleet of 500 bikes at 86 stations throughout the community, the City said.

The pilot program was designed to "collaboratively and flexibly develop an effective model to regulate these new shared transportation options to ensure compliance with applicable laws while promoting health and safety," the press release said.

“The selected companies bring a wide range of local, national and international experience that will contribute to a comprehensive and informative pilot program,” said Director of Planning and Community Development David Martin. “The City looks forward to working closely with each of these operators to identify innovative solutions that help create a viable, well-operated long-term shared mobility program in Santa Monica.”

The selection comes after a thorough review of the applications by the Planning Director, and factors in selection committee recommendations, public comment and submitted application materials, the press release said. Both the selection committee and Planning Director reviewed applications based on seven criteria, including: experience, operations, ability to launch, education strategies, compliance record, financial viability and safety compliance.

“We’re excited to bring scooters and bikes to Santa Monica soon. Our ultimate goal is to reduce reliance on personal cars, and we believe the best way to do that is to offer multiple modes of transportation—scooters, bike, cars, public transit and more—in one app," a statement from Uber said. "We’ll continue to partner with cities in the right way to bring more options to more people.”

For more information about Santa Monica’s shared mobility program or the selection process, visit www.smgov.net/sharedmobility.

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