Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 17, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION OF MICRO MOBILITY VEHICLES PROGRAM AT METRO STATIONS
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report on Introduction of Micro Mobility Vehicles Program at Metro Stations.
(CARRIED OVER FROM MARCH)
Issue
ISSUE
Micro mobility is evolving in the transportation industry and is forecasted to grow due to social, cultural, new lifestyle and technological trends. In order to manage this growth it has become necessary to develop a program to regulate these vehicles. These vehicles have the potential to provide a flexible and affordable option and a vital link for the first/last mile connection for transit patrons. Staff has developed an administrative program proposal for Board consideration this month and potentially for adoption next month.
Background
BACKGROUND
Micro mobility refers to a category of alternative vehicles, such as e-scooters and dockless bikes, which have soared in popularity since their introduction in the summer of 2017. Recently, several municipalities in Los Angeles County have developed and implemented regulations and operating permission programs. Up to 60,000 e-scooters and dockless bikes are operating in different parts of Los Angeles County. Micro mobility vehicles, specifically e-scooters and dockless bike share bicycles, are now part of the transportation landscape necessitating urgent action to address community concerns about managing how and where these vehicles operate on Metro properties and rights of way (ROW).
At the September 2018 Board meeting, staff provided a report on the status of the Metro Bike Share Program which included the operation and regulation of dockless bikes and e-scooters. Staff was directed to develop a program to permit the operation of micro mobility vehicles and to ensure that the plan included regulations to address parking so that they do not impede or restrict pedestrian access while on Metro property, parking facilities, and ROW.
At the March 2019 Planning and Programming Committee meeting, staff introduced the proposed Micro Mobility Vehicle Program (“Program”) to the Board. At that meeting Board Directors from the Planning and Programming Committee decided to carry over the item to April for further discussion. Staff was also directed to provide additional information and revisit the fee structure for the program.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The Micro Mobility Vehicles Program (Program) is an administrative program that staff proposes to regulate e-scooter and dockless bike operations on Metro property, parking facilities, and ROW. The proposed program’s concept is for operators to lease spaces at Metro properties with regulatory terms and conditions. The focus will be on vehicles parking within Metro ROW only. The proposed program is not intended to govern vehicle capacity and allocation or permission of operation in different parts of Los Angeles County, which is under the jurisdiction of the cities/County.
Observations and Options
Micro mobility vehicles have been observed at approximately thirty (30) Metro stations along transit corridors, parking in or adjacent to ADA parking spaces, blocking fare gates at transit stations, and abandoned in the middle of transit station platforms.
Although Metro does not have jurisdiction to regulate on-street spaces that belong to the cities and the County, Metro does have the authority to regulate these vehicles on its properties, parking facilities, and ROW, and to implement an administrative program for micro mobility vehicle operators who are responsible for regulating their users.
Implementing an administrative program will potentially add value to the first/last mile connection to transit stations by providing additional affordable alternatives for transit users.
Program Concept
The proposed objective of the Program is to implement a self-sustaining solution for operating and parking micro mobility vehicles, specifically e-scooters and dockless bikes, on Metro properties, parking facilities, and ROW. The proposed program is expected to reduce short-distance, single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips while providing a low cost, flexible mobility option, particularly for those connected to transit, regardless of fitness or ability.
The proposed program’s concept is modeled after Metro’s Car Share program. The concept is for operators to lease micro mobility parking, which would be regulated through an operating license agreement. All vehicles are required to park at the designated area stated in the operating license agreement. Metro Parking Enforcement would be tasked to regulate parking behavior and record all violations of the operating license agreement. Administrative penalties would be tracked and applied to the operators’ monthly invoice and would require all operators to remain in good standing. The non-exclusive license agreement will not consume or procure service by any service provider or operator.
Workshops, Surveys and Other Outreach
Metro Parking Management staff conducted several workshops and outreach meetings during the program development process. Three workshops were conducted for the Micro Mobility Vehicles Program and consisted of outreach to seven (7) operators and local jurisdictions throughout Los Angeles County.
The first two workshops focused on obtaining input from operators. Seven (7) operators attended a presentation of the proposed program and offered constructive feedback which was incorporated into the program framework.
A third workshop was conducted exclusively for municipalities and the County. All eighty-eight (88) cities in Los Angeles County were invited and representatives from over thirty (30) jurisdictions attended the workshop. Representatives voiced their input and concerns, which allowed staff to address their issues.
Two (2) surveys were conducted in January 2019 and February 2019. The first survey was directed to local jurisdictions throughout Los Angeles County to understand each city’s position on regulating or banning micro mobility vehicles. The survey was distributed to eighty-eight (88) Los Angeles County cities. A total of thirty (30) responses were received for the survey. The survey was focused on how each city was approaching micro mobility vehicles, whether through a formal ban, an informal ban or an administrative program. Four (4) cities responded they would institute an informal or temporary ban while four (4) other cities would institute a formal ban. Twenty-one (21) cities responded they would manage or regulate the vehicles through an administrative program, and one (1) city did not have a stance.
The second survey, consisting of six (6) questions, was distributed to e-scooter operators to assess opinions on parking infrastructure. The survey was distributed to seven (7) operators. A total of four (4) responses were received for the survey. The survey focused on how critical it was to have a specifically designated parking space for each operator or a shared combined space. Two (2) operators responded they would prefer a designated space; one (1) operator preferred a combined space, and one (1) operator was indifferent. All four (4) operators are currently planning to design infrastructure and one (1) operator had a proprietary design. Three (3) operators are willing to share infrastructure design, and one (1) operator was not. Three (3) operators responded they would prefer the ability to actively charge e-scooters while parked at a station and one (1) operator was indifferent. Attachment D shows survey results.
Finally, staff met separately with various Metro departments and individually with four (4) e-scooter operators between November 2018 and February 2019.
Rules and Regulations
E-scooters and dockless bike share bicycles are considered ‘vehicles’, thereby permitting Metro the right to regulate operators and tow violating vehicles. California Vehicle Code (CVC) 21113 gives Metro the authority to adopt its own parking ordinance to regulate Metro’s ROW and parking facilities. Metro adopted Parking Ordinance, Administration Code 8, and proposes to incorporate the Micro Mobility Vehicle Ordinance under Chapter 8-07 covering “Vehicles Other than Automobiles” (Attachment A). Metro shall require all operators to execute an operating license agreement prior to the deployment and storage of vehicles on Metro property, parking facilities, and ROW. To ensure operators are permitted to work in specific jurisdictions where Metro stations are located, documentation of authorization from the jurisdictional agency will be required prior to entering into license agreements with Metro. Additionally, operators will still be subject to the County and municipality regulations in which they operate, which include, but are not limited to, a vehicle cap.
Metro will enforce ADA parking spaces by requiring operators to maintain a clear path of travel at all times. Metro shall allow the operators the opportunity to rectify violations brought to the operator’s attention within two hours, with the exception of ADA violations or parking beyond the fare gates area and boarding platform. ADA violations will be immediately removed. Any vehicles parked at non-designated areas will not be considered lost and found articles. Metro will have the authority to have them removed or towed at the operator’s expense and subject to a violation.
Enforcement
Enforcement of the micro mobility ordinance is anticipated to be provided by Metro’s parking enforcement contractor. Parking enforcement officers will patrol the areas covered in the license agreement to regulate parking behavior and record and track violations. All violations, if any, will result in an administrative penalty which will be applied to the operators’ monthly invoices. The invoiced violations will include the vehicle number, date, time and applicable code section.
If the violation is not related to ADA compliance, prior to issuing a citation parking, Metro Parking Enforcement is anticipated to inform the operator to relocate or correct the situation within a two (2)-hour period. If the violation involves blocking a clear path of travel for the disable parking space(s), enforcement will immediately relocate the vehicle back to the designated parking location and record the violation as an incident.
Any user who violates the ordinance while operating the vehicle and is observed by Metro Security, Police, or a parking enforcement officer, will receive a citation.
Geofencing
Staff researched the geofencing option as a tool for enforcement. Although the geofencing solution will able to provide heat maps and data gathering functions, the functional value for Metro is different compared to cities. The proposed program will be focused only on Metro stations area and ROW, which is a much smaller footprint compared with a city’s enforcement area. Moreover, Metro parking enforcement team already has its duty to patrol and enforce any parking-related activities, so visual identification will be easy and will provide prompt regulating. Metro will provide micro mobility parking areas to operators to incorporate into their software. Attachment E shows additional geofencing research findings.
Two-Hour Correction Period
Per California Vehicle Code (CVC) 22658(f) the owner of off-street property is required to allow one (1) hour of time before a vehicle is removed by a local traffic enforcement agency unless the vehicle poses an emergency or impedes disabled accessibility. Staff is recommending a correction period of up to two (2) hours to allow ample time for coordination and travel to the location by the operating company before Metro enforcement is dispatched.
Due to the nature of fleet operations, where users pick up vehicles at a starting location and drop off vehicles at their destination, many cities have instituted a correction period of one (1) or two (2) hours to correct, relocate or “rebalance” vehicles. Staff surveyed cities that permit operating companies to correct/rebalance and the table below describes the results.
|
City |
Time Period Allow Operator to Correct/Rebalance |
|
Los Angeles, CA |
2 hours |
|
Santa Monica, CA |
1 hour |
|
Long Beach, CA |
2 hours |
|
Austin, TX |
2 hours |
|
Denver, CO (RTD) |
Continuous Rebalancing |
|
Minneapolis, MN |
2 hours |
|
San Antonio, TX |
2 hours |
|
Washington D.C. |
2 hours |
Staff requested corrections and citations data from both the City of Santa Monica and the City of Los Angeles. The City of Los Angeles initiated their program fairly recently and does not have data available yet. The City of Santa Monica required the submission of a public records request for the data, which is pending, however Santa Monica staff shared that an average of 40 citations a month are issued near the three (3) Expo Line stations.
Locations Categories and Fee Structure
Staff has identified four (4) location categories to classify the various station types with potential space for parking for the Micro Mobility Program. Staff also revised the proposed fee structure, and infrastructure requirements based on how the four (4) categories would be implemented.
Category 1 is a station with a feasible parking facility to accommodate physical infrastructure. This category is projected to have the lowest demand for micro mobility vehicles due to the availability of automobile parking for Metro customers. Example stations of this category include the North Hollywood, Norwalk, and Willow stations.
Category 2 is a station with a non-feasible parking facility but has ample space near or around the station to accommodate scooter parking. While physical infrastructure is favored, it may be necessary to utilize stenciling to delineate parking areas. There are property constraints on space that may require removing or relocating bike lockers or bike racks. This category is projected to generate moderate demand for micro mobility vehicles as automobile parking is located a fair distance from the station. Example stations of this category include the Expo/Sepulveda, Westlake/MacArthur, and Irwindale stations.
Category 3 is a station with no parking facility, but with sufficient space near or around the station to accommodate scooter parking. This category will utilize stenciling to delineate parking areas due to real estate restrictions or constraints and may require removing or relocating bike lockers or bike racks. This category is projected to have the highest demand for micro mobility vehicles due to the absence of automobile parking. Example stations of this category are the Palms and the Westwood/Rancho Park stations.
Category 4 is a station with no parking facility and without ample space near or around the station to accommodate scooter parking. Due to the inability to accommodate scooter parking at this category of station, Metro will assist operating companies to coordinate with the respective city for scooter parking off-site, but near, Metro property. Example stations of this category include the Hollywood/Vine, Expo/ USC and Farmdale stations.
Way-finding signage will direct users to parking areas at Metro parking facilities. Feasible physical infrastructure is recommended as opposed to stenciling in order to create a more pronounced monumental space for pick up or drop off of vehicles, similar to a bus shelter, taxi zone, or valet stand.
Staff has revised the program fee structure in accordance with the aforementioned station categories provided in the table below after the March 2019 Planning and Programming Committee meeting discussion.
|
Location Category |
Application Fee |
Proposed Fee |
Proposed Violation Fee |
|
Category 1 |
$1500 per license agreement |
$125 per space per month |
$100 per occurrence |
|
Category 2 |
$1500 per license agreement |
$175 per space per month |
|
|
Category 3 |
$1500 per license agreement |
$250 per space per month |
|
Staff learned that municipalities that look a lenient approach to enforcement had the most significant issues with compliance, therefore, staff is recommending the violation fee to be set at $100 per occurrence, and the monthly rental fee is reduced from $500 to $125-$250 per space to encourage compliance and regulate behavior of the operating companies and users.
Attachment C summarizes the fee structures from other governing entities. Attachment B shows the proposed revisions to the Metro Parking Rates and Permit Fee Resolution for micro mobility violation fees.
Equity Platform
By developing the proposed Micro Mobility Vehicle Program, Metro will potentially provide an additional affordable alternative first and last mile option to connect with Metro transit system. This Program is planned to be implemented at various stations, including disadvantaged communities.
The proposed program is providing parking spaces for micro mobility vehicles solely focusing within Metro ROW. Metro can only govern the distance between the parking location and the station platform and cannot govern the demographic of micro mobility vehicle deployment throughout the County. The license agreement with the operating company will be in accordance with the local city or jurisdiction’s regulations as part of the permission requirement of the local jurisdiction.
The table below summarizes three local jurisdictions equity requirements.
|
City |
Equity Requirements |
|
Los Angeles, CA |
- Detailed criteria of plans offered, including a cash option, non-smartphone option, and a low-income plan. - Plan for low-income customers that include waiving any hold deposits and unlimited free trips less than 30 minutes in duration. - Plan to verify low-income status. - All Operators must have a cash, non-smart phone payment, and reservation option available. - All Operators must submit a quarterly report with all outreach conducted to educate customers on these options. Providers must also provide a quarterly report of the usage rates for each of these options. |
|
Santa Monica, CA |
- Operators must establish and promote low-income qualified rates, and provide a system for user sign up and payment that enables easy use of the reduced rates. Operators must offer incentives such as education and outreach and payment plans for low-income or other disadvantaged users are strongly encouraged. In addition to equitable device distribution discussed in earlier sections, it is desirable that Operators offer a means of accessing devices that do not require the use of a smartphone and/or access to a credit or debit card. |
|
Long Beach, CA |
The City has six operators participating in the pilot program and the city is split into three zones. Each operator needs to maintain twenty percent of its fleet in each zone so that city residents will have the opportunity to see how different operators do business in their areas. |
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The introduction of Micro Mobility Vehicles Program proposal receive and file report will not have any adverse safety impacts on Metro employees and patrons. The implementation of this program will enhance safety by ensuring an appropriate location for micro mobility vehicles to be parked.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed program is a revenue-generating initiative program. Anticipating the program to be adopted, revenue to Metro is estimated at $600,000 per year through the license agreements, application process and anticipated violations revenue. Enforcement expenses are estimated at $100,000 in labor and $50,000 in equipment during the first year. Therefore, the net revenue is estimated at $450,000.
Impact to Budget
Enforcement expenses are anticipated to be absorbed by the current parking enforcement contract budget without additional funding request or impact to budget.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Implementing the Micro Mobility Vehicles Program at Metro Stations will support:
1. Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling;
2. Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system;
3. Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may direct staff not to continue develop the Program. However, this is not recommended as the micro mobility vehicles will continue to park at Metro Stations and will cause a vehicle littering issue.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to perform more outreach efforts to introduce the Program and return to the Board in May 2019 for potential adoption of the Micro Mobility Vehicles Program.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Metro Parking Ordinance
Attachment B - Metro Parking Rates and Permit Fee Resolution
Attachment C - Fee Structure Survey
Attachment D - Surveys Results
Attachment E - Geofencing Research Findings
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Kimberly Sterling, Senior Transportation Planner, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-5559
Frank Ching, DEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3033
Holly Rockwell, SEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-5585
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Laurie A. Lombardi, Interim Chief Planning Officer, (213) 418-3251
