It’s summertime in beautiful Santa Monica, California, and with our famously sunny weather comes great opportunities for outdoor activities at and around the Santa Monica Pier! Whether spending your summer days enjoying the rides and games of Pacific Park or hanging out at the beautiful Santa Monica Beach, there’s plenty for families to enjoy. Rising in popularity are great rental transportations like e-scooters and e-bikes to take around the streets of Santa Monica.

These electric scooters and bikes (such as Bird and Jump) can be found throughout the Santa Monica area and are found, rented, and activated simply by using an app on your smartphone! To ensure you have an enjoyable and safe time using your e-scooters and e-bikes, here are some helpful tips and guidelines for their use in Santa Monica.

There are FOUR companies permitted to provide dockless scooters in Santa Monica.

Bird – Based in Santa Monica, Bird was a local pioneer for dockless scooters launching their app in 2017 and releasing over 1,000 scooters on the streets of Santa Monica. Bird was also the first scooter company to provide free helmets to early adopters and worked closely with the City drafting the rules for this emerging technology. ($1 to start, $0.29 plus tax per minute)

Jump – Owned by rideshare giant, Uber, Jump provides only a fleet of 250 scooters, but maintains almost a thousand electric-assist bicycles. The bikes, identifiable with their large red baskets, work in a similar fashion to the scooters through Uber’s ride share app.

Lime – Another eco-friendly transportation alternative, Lime offers scooters, electric-assist bikes, as well as traditional dockless bicycle rentals throughout the country. They are identified by their signature lime green color scheme and can also be found and rented from Uber’s app. ($1 to start, $0.15 per minute)

Lyft – Similar to Uber’s Jump scooters, this rival rideshare company also offers scooter rentals through its signature app, allowing you to find and activate vehicles throughout the city. These scooters are set apart by their black and purple design and allow you to pay as you go with no deposit. ($1 to start, $0.15 per minute)

How to Use

Many of the app-assisted rental programs operate similarly. Start by downloading the app from your smartphone’s App Store.

• Use your desired app to find the nearest scooter or bike. You can also check their individual battery charge in the app
• Next, using the app, scan in your driver’s license information as requested. Then scan the QR code on the scooter. If you don’t already have it stored, the app may request your payment information to begin the rental.
• To start the ride, push forward with one foot to get it moving. Then, use the throttle on the right side of the handlebar to speed up.
• Use the brake on the left to slow down.
• When your ride is over, park the scooter safely and in an upright position.
• On the app, end and lock the scooter, taking a picture of where the scooter was parked and adding a rating and comment of your ride.

Park your device respectfully

When your rental period is over and your vehicle is powered down, please return it to a nearby marked zone. If you cannot find a marked zone, please make sure to keep the vehicle in an upright position, placed near the edge of the curb, so as not to disrupt any pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks.

Rules of the road are being enforced

In order to keep the streets of Santa Monica safe for everyone this summer, Santa Monica Police officers will be citing violations made by bicyclists, e-scooter riders, drivers, and pedestrians that put roadway users at risk. These violations include speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, riding on sidewalks, failing to stop for signs and signals or any other dangerous violation.

Please be sure to use caution when operating any vehicle and respect other riders, drivers, and pedestrians while following proper right of way. Summers in Santa Monica make for great memories and fun experiences, so it’s important to be safe and courteous while you’re cruising in the California sun!