Redwood City welcomes new alternative transportation | Local News | smdailyjournal.com – San Mateo Daily Journal
Redwood Metropolis residents might quickly spot rentable scooters and e-bikes popping up Inside The city after councilmembers shared strong assist for welcoming The selection modes of transportation within city limits To Increase connectivity and scale again the Quantity Of auto miles traveled.
“That is going To actually add to the portfolio of transportation decisions that residents in our group have,” Councilmember Michael Smith said all by way of Monday’s council meeting.
In a 7-0 vote, the council amended a city ordinance To permit third-celebration distributors To hunt permits for working shared micromobility providers Inside The city. This method is Aimed in the direction of enhancing final-mile connections from mass transit whereas growing entry to companies and the Quantity of journeys made with out automobiles by 2044, Transportation Supervisor Jessica Manzi said.
Paired with the permitting program Can be a collection of costs Aimed in the direction of cowling what prices The city might take in in internet hosting the mannequins. The service costs Would Embrace a $2,000 software payment Which Might Even be required when first looking for and renewing a permit or when eyeing an enlargement and a refundable public property and upmaintain payment of $5,000. Vendors would additionally Want to pay a quarterly payment of 15 cents per rider.
An annual consider of the payment plan Shall be carried out by staff To Search out out whether or not the costs adequately cowl The city prices in maintaining the program. The consider Can additionally permit councilmembers to make modifications to the program And prices if needed.
Councilmember Diana Reddy shared her pleasure for the program, which was amplified after staff provided assurances that measures Can be taken to discourage dangerous conduct Similar to pedestrians being “mowed down” by people on electrical mannequins or scooters and bikes ending up Inside the lagoon.
Malahat Owrang, principal transportation planner for The city, famous that whereas dangerous conduct Is usually inevitable, distributors maintain monitor of which clients are inflicting disturbances And might take away them from the platform.
The city ordinance would additionally require distributors to rebalance and redistribute their fleet of mannequins A minimal of as quickly as a day and twice in busy areas, eradicating the mannequins from unpermitted areas Inside The tactic.
“Bad conduct occurs,” Owrang said. “Operators will know They typically’ll Want to go and repair it in a day.”
Vendors would additionally Want to Adjust to share A pair of of their utilization knowledge they collect with The city as An factor of the permit settlement. The anonymized knowledge The city would acquire consists of utilization per system per day, collisions, complaints, decide-up and drop-off areas and vandalism places.
Aiming To promote equitable entry to the providers, The city ordinance additionally requires distributors To current various cost decisions for Individuals with out financial institution accounts or Bank playing cards, textual content material message activation for Individuals with out smartphones, internet website and mobile entry for Individuals with disabilities, a 24-hour toll-free Buyer assist hotline and bilingual education and outreach supplies.
The city Can additionally strongly encourage operators To current low cost plans for low-income riders and to fill needed employment positions with locals, Owrang said.
Education Throughout the program was a prime precedence for city officers. Councilmember Jeff Gee referred to as for a “strong education factor” Which might goal each future clients of the mannequins and drivers, “So as that everyone can Discowl methods to coexist collectively on our city streets.”
Mayor Diane Howard agreed with Gee, suggesting The city could assist by placing digital indicators Throughout The city alerting The general public to The mannequin new program. The worth of doing so Have to be handed onto operators by way of the payment plan, particularly if the indicators Discover your self to be everlasting, she said.
Even with out the indicators, Vice Mayor Giselle Hale said The general public will shortly Discover your self To maintain in thoughts of the program and inspired officers to mark their calendars for when look at-ins Shall be needed.
“I’m sure this Shall be famous by The general public Once they see these mannequins round city,” Hale said. “I am excited Regarding The thought Of making our transit extra entryible and having extra options for that final mile.”