Date: July 13, 2023
Author(s): Abraham Cheung, Alberto Murillo, Chia Yun Chang, Masamichi Ishikura, Nicholas Perloff-Giles
Abstract
After private companies like Bird, Lime, and Spin deployed dockless e-scooters in Los Angeles without the city’s permission, the L.A. Department of Transportation created a micromobility program to regulate the operation of these services. One of LADOT’s program priorities is equity, including ensuring access to e-scooters for residents in underserved neighborhoods. As such, a pilot program from 2019 to 2020 required operators to double the maximum deployment of e-scooters in equity zones — which were defined by environmental hazards through the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Tool — compared to non-equity zones, and mandated low-income discount programs. In its current program iteration, LADOT changed the equity zones to reflect infrastructure, mobility, and socioeconomic factors. The department also required that operators pay zonal fees per ride in non-equity zones, which operators collected from riders. Lastly, LADOT mandated operators to deploy 20% of their fleets in equity zones.
About the Project
This report partially fulfills the requirements for the Master in Public Policy degree in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.