In a unanimous vote Monday, the Redwood City Council reinforced its approval to allow third-party operators to begin providing shared micromobility transportation options on city streets.
To make it possible for operators to begin installing electric bikes and scooters, the city decided to amend the municipal code, renaming Chapter 8 from “Bicycles” to “Micromobility Devices and Operations.”
"At this time, we do not plan to do an RFP (request for proposals) to solicit vendors, but we may revisit this decision based on the response from the market," she said. "Timing will be driven by if/when we get any applications and their responsiveness to our permit application and administrative regulations."
Mayor Diane Howard said the city would need to keep track of the costs related to shared micromobility services and pass that cost on to operators, specifically if the cost was associated with education campaigns for Redwood City residents.
The city will add an additional article to the code that establishes regulations and proposed fees for operators.
The council will adopt the ordinance that would allow operators to begin sending in applications at the city council meeting on Oct. 25, said Jessica Manzi, city transportation manager.
To apply for a shared micromobility permit, operators must provide service at high-demand locations and comply with zoning requirements and other city ordinances.
According to the proposed plan, operators would have to pay three fees: 1) a nonrefundable application fee of $2,000, which would cover the cost of the permit, the renewal and fleet expansions; 2) A nonrefundable 15 cent fee per ride to cover administrative costs, and 3) a refundable $5,000 fee for maintenance and repairs. The city would revisit the fees annually to ensure they cover all costs.
Michelle Iracheta is the editor at the Redwood City Pulse, a local news site dedicated to providing accurate and timely news to the Redwood City community. Michelle can be reached at miracheta@rwcpulse.com, on Twitter, on Facebook, and by phone at 832-729-2105. To read more stories about Redwood City, subscribe to our daily Express newsletter on rwcpulse.com.
