Huntington Beach takes steps to temporarily ban bicycle and scooter rental services

Huntington Beach will move forward on establishing a temporary ban on bicycle and scooter sharing services pending a study session on how to regulate them.

City Attorney Michael Gates will present a formal proposal during the July 16 meeting of the City Council, which voted unanimously Monday night to move ahead with the ban.

Transportation rental companies such as Lime and Mobike enable customers in various cities to unlock and rent bicycles or scooters using a mobile app. The business model is similar to the Lyft and Uber car ride services.

Sharing services are a “green” transportation alternative and can ease traffic congestion, but they also can create a public nuisance and safety concern, said Councilman Patrick Brenden, who proposed the ban.

Santa Monica and San Francisco have deliberated how to regulate such services and limit “littering” caused by bikes and scooters being left around town, Brenden said.

Chief Assistant City Attorney Mike Vigliotta said sharing services “can’t just leave the bikes” in Huntington Beach without an agreement from the city.

Plaque plan for Patriot Point

In other business Monday, the City Council directed staff to return with a proposal to buy and install a plaque dedicated to Zach Martinez, a Vietnam veteran who raised the American flag on a bluff above the ocean on Memorial Day 2010 and created Patriot Point. Martinez died last month.

Patriot Point is along Pacific Coast Highway north of Goldenwest Street.

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Twitter: @vegapriscella