PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – Beginning Saturday, May 24, 2025, the City of Long Beach is launching a 12-month E-Scooter Pilot, allowing private and shared electric scooters to operate on designated portions of the Shoreline Pedestrian Bike Path. The pilot will explore how these devices can safely and responsibly coexist with other users along the scenic coastline while supporting the City’s commitment to expanding sustainable and accessible transportation options.

With growing tourism and recent enhancements along the shoreline, including the opening of the Junipero Beach Sports Court and new premium food concessions at Gaucho Beach and Saltwater Deck, the Long Beach City Council approved updates to the Long Beach Municipal Code with a vote of 6 to 1 at the Tuesday, April 1, 2025, City Council Meeting, enabling this new pilot and reintroduction of e-scooter access along the beach path between Alamitos Avenue and 54th Place and setting an implementation goal of Memorial Day.

E-scooters will be limited to bike lanes only and will not be permitted on pedestrian walkways. To reinforce this separation, the City will install new signage at key zones and intermittently along the path to direct users to appropriate areas. E-scooters will be governed by the California Vehicle Code, which limits their speed to 15 mph. In areas with high pedestrian activity, designated slow zones will be enforced via geofencing, reducing speeds to 5 mph. A new and separate 20 mph speed limit will apply to bicycles, both electric and conventional.

Micromobility operators will also be required to rebalance deployment and parking locations using car-free methods and must provide daily monitoring and operational oversight. New e-scooter corral locations for permitted vendors will also be established. Privately owned scooters must comply with all state speed regulations but are not subject to the parking requirements in place for permitted e-scooter vendors. 

To evaluate the pilot, the City will monitor a range of performance metrics, including the number of trips that begin and end on the beach path, e-scooter parking behavior and violations, ride duration and purpose, and general community feedback. The pilot will also assess compliance with speed limits, right-of-way rules, and helmet use across all modes of transportation. The City’s Micromobility Team will release a six-month report summarizing key findings and recommending whether to move forward with the program, provided no significant issues are identified.

The pilot, which is led by the Department of Public Works, will be supported by an education-first enforcement approach in collaboration with the Fire and Police Departments, focusing on outreach and awareness during the early stages of implementation. Community members are encouraged to report shared e-micromobility device violations on the Go Long Beach app.

In July 2018, the City launched its first E-Scooter Pilot Program. At the time, e-scooters were banned from the beach path due to widespread issues with improper parking and abandonment of devices in unauthorized areas. Notably, no crashes involving e-scooters were reported on the path during that period. Since then, advancements in technology and operational practices have helped cities in the region, such as Los Angeles with its Venice Beach pilot, successfully manage shared e-micromobility in busy recreational zones.

This initiative supports the goals outlined in the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) by helping reduce vehicle traffic near the coast and increasing access to beach amenities through low-emission, shared transportation options. This proposal was brought forth to the Long Beach City Council initially in April 2024 by Councilmember Cindy Allen and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Megan Kerr and Roberto Uranga.  City Council discussion was held in April 2024 and June 2024 and again at three meetings in April 2025 before being approved 6 – 1 by the Council, with Councilmember Kristina Duggan dissenting. 

For ongoing updates and more information, visit lbcity.info/micromobility.

Media inquiries may be directed to Jocelin Padilla-Razo, Community Information Officer, Department of Public Works, at 562.570.4668 or LBPWMedia@longbeach.gov.