Council approves 12‑month scooter pilot on Long Beach bike path with signage and 15mph limit for scooters

The City Council voted to allow permitted shared electric scooters to operate on Long Beach’s beach bike path for a 12‑month pilot, subject to posted speed limits, signage and an education‑first enforcement approach.

Public Works staff recommended, and the council approved, an ordinance amendment to permit shared micro‑mobility operators to use the bike path; staff described a framework including a statewide statutory top speed of 15 mph for scooters (the city will post 15 mph for scooters and 20 mph for other bicycles), and targeted 5 mph zones in high pedestrian‑conflict locations such as pier entrances and concession areas. Staff said operations would run between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. on the path, and vendors must manage drop zones, retrieve disabled or abandoned devices within a two‑hour window and help with public education and data collection.

Public Works and traffic engineering will install signage and track usage, speeds and incidents. The city’s lifeguard and police departments committed to participate in education and targeted enforcement; staff emphasized an education‑first approach with periodic enforcement once public outreach has been completed. The council also requested a written interim memo at six months to present early data on safety, mode share and device management. If the pilot fails to meet safety or compliance expectations, staff retains authority to pause or terminate the pilot.

Micro‑mobility operators (Bird and Lime) testified in support; council members who represent shoreline districts favored the pilot as a multimodal connection to downtown and a way to reduce car trips. At least one councilmember raised concerns about prior unregulated high‑speed vehicles (pocket bikes, heavily modified e‑bikes) on the path and urged enforcement against illegal devices as part of the implementation.