Skip to content
NOWCAST KSBW Action News 8 Midday
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Lime scooters dumped in Marina without city approval

Advertisement
Lime scooters dumped in Marina without city approval
You don't have to look far to find a lime scooter in Marina. This fall the app based company dumped an estimated 60 to 100 electric scooters within city limits but without city permission. "Nobody in Marina knew until they showed up on the streets," said Marina mayor Bruce Delgado.The mayor said the city is now in talks with Lime about how to curb problems that have ensued since the scooters have arrived. The electric scooters are dockless, allowing users to check them out on the phone app, use them, and dump them wherever they want. The scooters have stacked up at bus stops, businesses and door steps across the city.The bright green and black scooters have also been left in the middle of sidewalks creating American's with Disabilities Act issues. "They can get in the way of people with disabilities or mobility issues attempting to access a bus or even just walking past a bus stop," said Carl Sedoryk with Monterey Salinas Transit. Sedoryk said MST was also not warned ahead of the Lime dump.The e-scooters are picked up and charged by Lime contractors called Juicers, who then return the e-scooters to the street for use. Both MST and the city are trying to get the Juicers to return the scooters to locations that don't block access or create hazards but the real challenge will be getting users to do the same. Sedoryk said MST as contacted the Transportation Agency for Monterey County about making striped corrals for the dockelss e-scooters but getting people to use them may be difficult. The e-scooters were first introduced in Monterey County at the California State University Monterey Bay Campus in September. Those scooters have since made their way off campus with lots of them piling up outside of Target. Students would check out an e-scooter for the ride there but would have to uber home after they realized they couldn't scooter with their purchases. The electric scooters can also be dangerous. The campus health center reports there were 20 injuries just in the first week the scooters were introduced on campus. Since September the health center estimates it's treated 60 t0 70 Lime related injuries. Lime is immune to damages from the accidents because before checking out the e-scooters you have to agree to their terms and conditions. One of those students injured, Adriana Rodriguez is still in a cast a month after her accident on a Lime scooter. "It was on October 4, in the evening I fell off a Lime scooter," she said. Rodriguez was headed down hill when she could not break and fell off. She fractured her finger, cut open her head, and scraped her knee.Delgado said he is concerned the Lime dump could leave the city liable for damages if someone gets hurt on its sidewalks."If we knowingly leave them in the middle of the sidewalks etc. and somebody gets hurt, you know we've got the deep pockets so we would potentially be liable," he said. Still Marina does not want to get rid of the scooters entirely."They're fun and they bring a liveliness to the down," Delgado said. What he does want is more control of where the scooters go and how they are used.Lime has not returned our multiple requests for comment.

You don't have to look far to find a lime scooter in Marina. This fall the app based company dumped an estimated 60 to 100 electric scooters within city limits but without city permission.

"Nobody in Marina knew until they showed up on the streets," said Marina mayor Bruce Delgado.

Advertisement

The mayor said the city is now in talks with Lime about how to curb problems that have ensued since the scooters have arrived.

The electric scooters are dockless, allowing users to check them out on the phone app, use them, and dump them wherever they want. The scooters have stacked up at bus stops, businesses and door steps across the city.

The bright green and black scooters have also been left in the middle of sidewalks creating American's with Disabilities Act issues.

"They can get in the way of people with disabilities or mobility issues attempting to access a bus or even just walking past a bus stop," said Carl Sedoryk with Monterey Salinas Transit.

Sedoryk said MST was also not warned ahead of the Lime dump.

The e-scooters are picked up and charged by Lime contractors called Juicers, who then return the e-scooters to the street for use. Both MST and the city are trying to get the Juicers to return the scooters to locations that don't block access or create hazards but the real challenge will be getting users to do the same.

Sedoryk said MST as contacted the Transportation Agency for Monterey County about making striped corrals for the dockelss e-scooters but getting people to use them may be difficult.

The e-scooters were first introduced in Monterey County at the California State University Monterey Bay Campus in September. Those scooters have since made their way off campus with lots of them piling up outside of Target. Students would check out an e-scooter for the ride there but would have to uber home after they realized they couldn't scooter with their purchases.

The electric scooters can also be dangerous. The campus health center reports there were 20 injuries just in the first week the scooters were introduced on campus. Since September the health center estimates it's treated 60 t0 70 Lime related injuries.

Lime is immune to damages from the accidents because before checking out the e-scooters you have to agree to their terms and conditions.

One of those students injured, Adriana Rodriguez is still in a cast a month after her accident on a Lime scooter.

"It was on October 4, in the evening I fell off a Lime scooter," she said.

Rodriguez was headed down hill when she could not break and fell off. She fractured her finger, cut open her head, and scraped her knee.

KSBW-TV

Delgado said he is concerned the Lime dump could leave the city liable for damages if someone gets hurt on its sidewalks.

"If we knowingly leave them in the middle of the sidewalks etc. and somebody gets hurt, you know we've got the deep pockets so we would potentially be liable," he said.

Still Marina does not want to get rid of the scooters entirely.

"They're fun and they bring a liveliness to the down," Delgado said.

What he does want is more control of where the scooters go and how they are used.

Lime has not returned our multiple requests for comment.