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S A N TA M O N I C A
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
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August 17 – 23, 2018 Volume XXI, Issue 5
Scooter Wars Heat Up
City considering awarding Uber and Lyft scooter rights. By S am C atanzaro
Scooters are always a hot topic in Santa Monica but this week the heat got turned up a few notches when Bird and Lime both temporarily suspended service on their devices in a symbolic protest. On August 7, the City of Santa Monica’s Shared Mobility Device Selection Committee released their rankings of potential operators for the upcoming Shared Mobility Pilot Program which will begin on September 17. Bird and Lime are ranked 10th and 4th respectively. The Committee is recommending that David Martin, the City’s Director of Planning and Community Development, select only the top-two operators: LYFT and Jump. LYFT scooters are owned by the company that operates Lyft, the ride-hailing service. Uber owns jump. In response to this, Bird and Lime sent out a letter to users saying the company would shut down scooters Tuesday to protest the City’s actions while calling on users to attend a rally outside City Hall on Tuesday before the start of the Council meeting. “Last Friday, the City released the initial staff recommendations of its current procurement process for shared electric scooter operators, proposing to award permits to two other companies, removing Lime and Bird—the only current operators in the City—from Santa Monica. The proposed companies have no history of oper-
9/17/2018
Pages 9–16
Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Products Straws, plates, lids, utencils among plastic products banned. By Sam Catanzaro
E scooter supporters rall outside City Hall Tuesday, Aug. 14.
ating shared scooters in any city,” the joint statement read. There was no item on the Council agenda regarding scooters and City Officials noted at the start of the meeting that City Council had already considered scooters at their June 26 meeting when they approved the Shared Mobility Pilot Program. The decision now rests in the hands of the City’s Planning and Community Development Director David Martin. “The Council is not the body that makes the decision on e-scooters,” said City Manager Rick Cole said, adding “We anticipate the selection of two e-scooter companies.” In the rankings, Bird and Lime both scored low marks for compliancy. Both JUMP and Lyft scooters scored higher
Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
when it came to compliancy, which some people quiestions since neither JUMP norLyft scooters are operable yet and so therefore have had nothing to comply with. In addition, Lime said that they have worked with the City of Santa Monica in the past to ensure compliance and argued that their experience makes them a better choice. "As the most experienced shared bike and scooter company in the United States, we are disappointed by the City’s current proposal because Santa Monica riders deserve access to best-in-class technology. We have on-the-ground experience operating shared scooters in Santa Monica and around the world, giving us the greatest readiness to fulfill the needs of residents without interruption when the pilot program begins," wrote Toby Sun, Lime CEO in a press release. The final decision will be made by the City’s Planning and Community Development Director David Martin, who will decide based on the applications, the selection committee’s recommendations and public comment. Public comment was open through Friday, August 17 and the decision is expected in the next few weeks.
TAX
Santa Monica became one of the first cities in the country to ban single-use plastics on Tuesday when Santa Monica City Council approved an update to the City's 2007 Nonrecyclable Plastic Food Service Container Ordinance. Under this revision, as of January 1, 2019, all non-marine biodegradable straws, lids, utensils, plates, trays, containers, cups, bowls, containers, stirrers and lid plugs will be banned in the City for prepared food products. Retail plastics products from grocery stores and other commercial outlets and not impacted under the scope of the Council's actions. “As a beach city, single-use plastics pose serious problems for the natural environment, including polluting the ocean and clogging landfills,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Dean Kubani. “With this vote, the City Council ensures that Santa Monica continues to leads on the environment by being one of the first cities to ban all plastic food service ware, including cups and lids.
BAN, see page 20
Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
Santa Monica became one of the first cities in the country to ban single-use plastics
Samuel Moses, CPA 100 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
310.395.9922