The Californer - City of Long Beach to Launch E-Scooter Pilot on Shoreline Bike Path

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Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach is taking a step towards expanding sustainable and accessible transportation options with the launch of a 12-month E-Scooter Pilot on Saturday, May 24, 2025. This pilot program will allow private and shared electric scooters to operate on designated portions of the Shoreline Pedestrian Bike Path.

The decision to implement this pilot program was approved by the Long Beach City Council with a vote of 6 to 1 at the Tuesday, April 1, 2025 meeting. The updates to the Long Beach Municipal Code will enable e-scooters to be reintroduced along the beach path between Alamitos Avenue and 54th Place, with an implementation goal of Memorial Day.

With growing tourism and recent enhancements along the shoreline, including new premium food concessions at Gaucho Beach and Saltwater Deck, as well as the opening of the Junipero Beach Sports Court, this pilot program aims to explore how e-scooters can safely and responsibly coexist with other users along the scenic coastline.

Under this pilot program, e-scooters will be limited to bike lanes only and will not be permitted on pedestrian walkways. To ensure this separation is reinforced, new signage will be installed at key zones and intermittently along the path to direct users to appropriate areas. Additionally, e-scooters will be governed by the California Vehicle Code which limits their speed to 15 mph. In areas with high pedestrian activity, designated slow zones will be enforced via geofencing technology, reducing speeds to 5 mph. Bicycles, both electric and conventional, will have a separate speed limit of 20 mph.

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Micromobility operators participating in this pilot program will also be required to rebalance deployment and parking locations using car-free methods. They must also provide daily monitoring and operational oversight. New e-scooter corral locations for permitted vendors will also be established. Privately owned scooters must comply with all state speed regulations but are not subject to the parking requirements in place for permitted e-scooter vendors.

To evaluate the success of the pilot program, the City will monitor a range of performance metrics, including the number of trips that begin and end on the beach path, e-scooter parking behavior and violations, ride duration and purpose, and general community feedback. The pilot will also assess compliance with speed limits, right-of-way rules, and helmet use across all modes of transportation. A six-month report summarizing key findings and recommending whether to continue with the program will be released by the City's Micromobility Team.

The Department of Public Works will lead this pilot program with support from an education-first enforcement approach in collaboration with the Fire and Police Departments. This approach will focus on outreach and awareness during the early stages of implementation. Community members are encouraged to report shared e-micromobility device violations on the Go Long Beach app.

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This is not Long Beach's first experience with e-scooters. In July 2018, the City launched its first E-Scooter Pilot Program which banned e-scooters from operating on the beach path due to issues with improper parking and abandonment of devices in unauthorized areas. However, no crashes involving e-scooters were reported during that period. Since then, advancements in technology and operational practices have helped other cities in the region successfully manage shared e-micromobility in busy recreational zones.

This initiative aligns with the goals outlined in Long Beach's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) by reducing vehicle traffic near the coast and increasing access to beach amenities through low-emission, shared transportation options. The proposal for this pilot program was initially brought forth to the Long Beach City Council in April 2024 by Councilmember Cindy Allen and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Megan Kerr and Roberto Uranga. After discussions in April and June 2024, and three meetings in April 2025, the proposal was approved by the Council with a vote of 6-1, with Councilmember Kristina Duggan dissenting.

For ongoing updates and more information on the E-Scooter Pilot Program, visit lbcity.info/micromobility. Media inquiries may be directed to Jocelin Padilla-Razo, Community Information Officer for the Department of Public Works at 562.570.4668 or LBPWMedia@longbeach.gov.

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