
Micromobility Virtual Parking Now Citywide
Release Date: 2022-07-11
Virtual parking has been implemented by the four companies operating e-scooters in Long Beach as part of the City's Shared Micromobility Program. Virtual parking requires that users end a ride and park e-scooters in designated areas. Staff have been looking at the virtual parking model since the end of 2021 to see if it would help with sidewalk clutter and improve the e-scooter program. Staff has been testing incentivized and forced virtual parking with some of the e-scooter operators since March 2022, and all four operators began using the forced virtual parking model citywide on July 11th. Here is a timeline and more information:
- Fall/Winter 2021, staff began working with the operators to identify locations to implement virtual parking in Zone 2 (East Long Beach). This gave staff a chance to design the roll out and implementation of virtual parking with all four operators.
- March 17, 2022, forced virtual parking began in Zone 2 as a pilot with all four operators. This was after all locations were approved and virtual parking corral capacities were determined by small (3 scooters per operator), medium (8 scooters per operator), and large (12 scooters per operator).
- June 1, 2022, a soft rollout of virtual parking began citywide, after the pilot proved to be successful in Zone 2. This soft rollout gave the operators a chance to update their user apps and choose from forced virtual parking or incentivized virtual parking.
- Monday, July 11, 2022, forced virtual parking was implemented citywide with all four operators. Staff will continue to monitor and track the data to see how this impacts the program.