Sacramento Officials Will Hold Uber Accountable For Scattered Scooters; 'We Learned From Other Cities'

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Electric scooters will arrive soon in Sacramento and among the excitement from fans, some are already concerned about scooter safety and etiquette.

The city says it has hundreds of bike racks around town. In Midtown, on 18th and L Street, there are racks at every corner of the intersection. Officials are counting on riders to use their best judgment just as they would with a bicycle, otherwise riders will face possible penalties.

The same electric scooters seen zipping around cities across the country are about to debut in Sacramento alongside the popular JUMP Bikes. The Uber-Owned company will operate both the scooters and the bikes.

Sacramento transportation officials said riders should not expect them to have the same freewheeling attitude toward those infamous lazy riders.

"I just got back from Paris and they are all over the city and they just get left everywhere, in your way," said Wendy Webster.

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The clutter has plagued California cities from San Francisco to Santa Monica. They have even led to a class action lawsuit in San Diego over obstructed sidewalks.

Jennifer Donlon Wyant is Sacramento's transportation specialist. She crafted the city's strict scooter regulations, which she says, other cities don't have.

"We learned from other cities about what works and what doesn't work," Donlon Wyant said.

Officials said the company will be charged a $27 fee if riders leave scooters lying on sidewalks.

Other proposed regulations from the City of Sacramento include:

• As part of the overall program, companies will pay the City a fee to cover the cost of purchasing and installing racks for parking shared-rideables.
• Companies must deploy 20 percent of their fleet in disadvantaged communities.
• The city can give companies a $15 citation for any shared rideable obstructing the pedestrian path of travel.

According to Donlon Wyant, the fee totals $27, including the $15 citation.

READ ALSO: Los Angeles Has Its 1st Electric Scooter DUI Prosecution

"I am sure the companies will work with their members to get out the good behavior," Donlon Wyant said.

A spokesperson for the company said they plan to give credits for future trips to riders who return scooters to charging stations.

Don't expect to see thousands of scooters right away. The company is only deploying 100 Friday. The rest will be phased in throughout the year to avoid congestion.