San Diego's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a package of rules proposed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer to regulate the e-scooters.
Council members say this is the first step toward responding to concerns over the scooter that were expressed by dozens of people who spoke during Tuesday's public hearing and council meeting.
The rules will limit the speed of dockless scooters to eight miles per hour in high-traffic areas. The regulations further cut speed limits to three miles per hour in areas such as the Embarcadero and the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.
But despite many of those who made public comment urging a complete ban of scooters on beach boardwalks, the council did not take action on that but some members expressed a desire to at a later date.
Bird, Lime and Razor will be required to use geofencing technology on their scooters to limit the speeds and parking abilities in designated areas. The regulations also ban scooter riders from parking near hospitals, schools, beach area boardwalks, the Petco Park perimeter and certain parts of the Embarcadero.
The city council plans to designate scooter parking zones along streets to decrease the number of scooters on sidewalks. Under the new rules, scooter companies will be required to obtain six-month operational permits and pay $150 per scooter or bike each year. The new rules officially go into effect on July 1st.
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