With more people around town riding on dockless electronic scooters, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer on Thursday proposed several new regulations to make them safer.
Among the new rules, he is proposing to limit scooter speeds to 8 mph in crowded areas, such as the beach boardwalk, Downtown Embarcadero and the Convention Center.
"As with many disruptive new technologies, there are issues that need to be addressed," Faulconer said in a statement. "First and foremost, public safety is our top priority and that will be reflected in these common-sense regulations."
Other rules he is proposing include more safety education for riders, data sharing and proper liability insurance.
Scooter share operators will be required to educate users of local city, state vehicle and traffic codes. They will also be required to provide the city with monthly reports of where the scooters are, how often they are being used and the number of scooters in the city.
The report will be used by the city for its Climate Action Plan monitoring and mobility planning.
All scooters operating in the city will also be required to clearly label that it is illegal to ride on sidewalks.
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"My goal has always been to slow down the speed of the scooters and address safety concerns," Councilwoman Lorie Zapf said in a statement. "With this proposal, I feel confident that we will see changes for the better."
Zapf, who is on the City Council's Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods committee, worked with the mayor on the proposed regulations. The committee will hold a hearing on the proposal framework next Wednesday.
Circulate San Diego, a nonprofit that works to promote public transportation, praises the mayor's plan, saying it will improve safety and provide a safe mode of transportation.
"The scooters are game changers that provide new mobility options, and with safe infrastructure, they will help San Diego meet its Climate Action Plan and Vision Zero goals," Circulate San Diego's policy director Maya Rosas said in a statement.
