Sacramento Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

The purpose of this chapter is to establish shared-rideable business requirements that achieve the city's goals of encouraging active transportation and providing adequate shared-rideable parking to meet the needs of shoppers, visitors, and residents while also reducing the potential for shared-rideables to block or interfere with pedestrian and emergency service use and access to all streets, sidewalks, paths, driveways, doorways, and other avenues of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Some shared-rideables can be self-locked anywhere within the city, making it difficult for the city to ensure that shared rideables are placed safely, upright, and out of the way of pedestrian walkways, bikeways, and roadways. In addition, shared-rideables can become a cause of blight in both residential and nonresidential neighborhoods. Without regulation, shared-rideable businesses pose a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare.

The city council finds that regulations governing shared-rideable businesses are necessary to promote the general health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the city by:

A. Ensuring safe operation of shared-rideables in the city;

B. Protecting the public right-of-way from uncontrolled, unmanaged encroachment;

C. Creating clear expectations for shared-rideable management and operations;

D. Establishing responsible parties and processes to address nuisances; and

E. Ensuring equitable access and wide spread investment in the city. (Ord. 2019-0007 § 1; Ord. 2018-0006 § 1)

As used in this chapter:

"Bicycle rack" or "rack" means a stationary fixture, including charging stations, intended to be used for parking a shared-rideable.

"Bicycle" means a two-wheeled device with handlebars, pedals, and a seat designed to be sat upon while riding.

"City manager" means the city manager or designee. "Customer" means any person using a shared-rideable.

"Director of community development" means the city's director of the Community Development Department or designee.

"Director of finance" means the city's director of the Finance Department or designee.

"Director of public works" means the city's director of the Public Works Department or designee.

"Electric bicycle" means a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts.

"General bikeshare feed specification" or "GBFS" means an open data standard for availability of shared-rideables and other mobility devices such as mopeds, cars, or other vehicle types.

"Mobility data specification" or "MDS" means a data standard that enables communication between local governments and mobility companies such as shared-rideable businesses.

"Motorized scooter" means a scooter equipped with an electric motor.

"Opportunity areas" means geographic areas identified by the city manager.

"Parking space" means any space in the public right-of-way in which a shared-rideable may be parked in compliance with this chapter.

"Scooter" means a two-wheeled device with handlebars and a floorboard designed to be stood upon while riding.

"Shared-rideable business" means a business, including a franchise, that owns, manages, or makes available shared-rideables for hire.

"Shared-rideable" means a device available to persons for renting on a self-service basis, including bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, motorized scooters, and other transportation devices, excluding transportation devices that must be registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

"Shared-rideable fleet" or "fleet" means all shared-rideables operated by a shared-rideable business.

"Shared-rideable operator" means a person that manages, owns, or operates a shared-rideable business. (Ord. 2021-0025 § 1; Ord. 2019-0007 § 1; Ord. 2018-0006 § 1)