• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

San Francisco, Santa Monica Allow Electric Scooters in New Pilot Programs

By
Brittany Shoot
Brittany Shoot
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Brittany Shoot
Brittany Shoot
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 30, 2018, 6:28 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Electric scooters will return to San Francisco’s streets after a four-month ban, in what is just the latest chapter in a rocky relationship between the city and an emerging form of transportation.

On Thursday, San Francisco announced that it had picked two companies—Scoot and Skip—from among a dozen applicants for a test beginning on Oct. 15. The two companies will be able to put up to 1,250 dockless electric scooters on the city’s streets after the city banned them in June, following complaints that customers left scooters in the middle of sidewalks and endangered pedestrians by driving recklessly.

Meanwhile, Santa Monica, Calif., the next-door neighbor to Los Angeles, said on Thursday that had approved a fleet of 1,000 electric scooters from companies Bird and Lime, as well as 2,000 dockless electric bikes from Lyft and Uber-owned Jump Bikes. The companies will be able to operate for 18 months, during which time they must pay the city $1 per day per scooter for infrastructure projects, including bike lane installation and upgrades.

Over the past year, the Santa Monica City Council has been crafting the pilot program regulate and rein in the bikes and scooters that flooded the coastal city’s streets starting in September 2017. Some of the program requirements including permitting fees and a cap on the number of scooters, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Today, the City announced the selection of Lime, Bird, Lyft & Jump as the 4 operators to participate in the Shared Mobility Pilot Program starting on Sept 17. The program builds upon the City’s existing @BreezeBikeShare & expands local multi-modal options.https://t.co/iGdnmuKObe

— City of Santa Monica (@santamonicacity) August 30, 2018

Scooter and dockless bike riders must follow the same rules as bicyclists, which means they should stay off sidewalks and stop at red lights. But so few do that cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have started to push back against what was largely an unregulated mini-industry.

Over the past couple of years, the number of scooter and dockless bike companies has exploded. Keeping track of them all, along with the acquisitions in the space, is difficult.

For example, Lime, which has rolled out in Paris with plans to expand across Europe, has taken major funding from Uber and Google parent company Alphabet. In July, Lyft bought Motivate, which operates docked bikeshare programs in the San Francisco area, Chicago, and Washington D.C. among other cities. And Uber got into the scooter and e-bike game in April by acquiring Jump Bikes.

In San Francisco, the two scooter companies that received approval must share rider data with the city, protect customer privacy, and offer access to low-income riders. Scoot already operates sit-down Vespa-style electric scooters in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, the companies whose applications San Francisco did not approve, including Drop, Razor, and Spin, must lick their wounds and focus elsewhere.

About the Author
By Brittany Shoot
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Le Pen extends lead in French election poll after court ruling
PoliticsFrance
Le Pen extends lead in French election poll after court ruling
By James Regan and BloombergJuly 11, 2026
11 minutes ago
Homes are in short supply in the U.S. How a new law could change the market
Real EstateHousing
Homes are in short supply in the U.S. How a new law could change the market
By Katy O'Donnell and BloombergJuly 11, 2026
17 minutes ago
Trump hints at a ‘dead man’s switch’ if Iran assassinates him. But Vice President JD Vance would make the call
PoliticsJD Vance
Trump hints at a ‘dead man’s switch’ if Iran assassinates him. But Vice President JD Vance would make the call
By Will Weissert and The Associated PressJuly 11, 2026
26 minutes ago
The U.S. and Iran can’t agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
Middle EastIran
The U.S. and Iran can’t agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
42 minutes ago
The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
EconomyLabor
The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
3 hours ago
The ‘Soccer Capital of America’ is now gunning for the Soccer Capital of the World (Cup)
EconomySports
The ‘Soccer Capital of America’ is now gunning for the Soccer Capital of the World (Cup)
By Catherina GioinoJuly 11, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
2 days ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
Success
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
By Preston ForeJuly 11, 2026
12 hours ago
'The first time ever in my career': Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America
Banking
'The first time ever in my career': Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 11, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.