City to launch proactive safety education in the coming weeks

Beginning Wednesday, June 19, Uber, known for its popular JUMP electric bikes and scooters, will more than double their shared rideable fleet, and in the coming weeks, other companies will also begin to deploy electric scooters citywide.

The companies who have applied for a permit include Bird, Lime, and Spin.

As many as 2,000 shared scooters and bikes will be deployed in the City as early as July.

“The City continues to be excited about the additional transportation options, but we want to ensure that all scooter riders know safety tips and follow traffic laws.” said Jennifer Donlon Wyant Transportation Planning Manager.

In partnership with the Sacramento Police Department, the City will launch a public education effort that strongly highlights that scooters are prohibited on sidewalks and must be parked at a bike rack or drop zone, a designated parking spot for shared rideables.

Drop zones are located at City Hall, 20th at Capitol Ave, R Street at 29th Street; 35th Street at Broadway, and more will be built soon.

On April 2, City Council Adopted a new ordinance that allowed JUMP and additional companies to deploy more electric scooters in Sacramento. Additional companies are still going through the permitting process and will deploy scooters in the next few weeks.

The new ordinance includes the following:

Flexibility for the City to limit the number of devices deployed on City Streets.

An updated permit fee structure for vendors that includes City installed parking infrastructure.

20% of the fleet must be deployed in a disadvantaged community.

Before users hit the road, the City encourages the following safety tips:

Before traveling, inspect the scooter and wear a helmet

In California, it is illegal to ride on the sidewalk. Riders will need to ride on City streets, bike lanes, or parking protected bikeways.

When riding on the street, travel in the same direction as traffic.

Follow all traffic laws (stop signs and traffic signals).

When finished with a trip, always park at a bike rack or drop zone.

Register for the Urban Bicycling and Scooting 101 class that is offered monthly for free.