Bird Scooter and Alternatives in L.A.
Zoom across town with these micro-mobility transport options
5 Min Read
5 Min ReadIt can be difficult getting around L.A. without a car. Even if you own one, you might not feel like driving all the time. Having an alternative can make a big difference. One such example is Bird scooter in Los Angeles. They rolled out their line of electric scooters to help people like you cut down on driving time. Not only that, they can reduce your carbon footprint and save you the hassle of paying for a parking spot.
Bird scooter in Los Angeles provides rentable, dockless electric scooters to residents and visitors of L.A. They are one of several companies in the area that offer a micro-mobility transportation option.
How it works
- To get started you’ll need to download their app
- Based on your location, the app can tell you where the nearest available scooter is
- Then tap on the large button on your screen to unlock the scooter
- Stand on the scooter, push off using your foot then press the throttle button to get moving
- Keep both feet on the scooter while in motion
- When it’s time to slow down or break completely, squeeze the breaks on the left-side handlebar
- At the end of your ride, park your scooter and hit the big button in the app
To rent a Bird scooter in L.A. it costs $1 to unlock and $0.25 per minute of ride time. Bird isn’t the only electric scooter company, you can find e-scooters from companies like Jump, Lime, Lyft, Spin, and Razor. 
Where you can ride e-scooters
The city of Los Angeles made it legal for permitted companies to bring e-scooters and e-bikes to the streets. But, the neighborhood of Beverly Hills voted against e-scooters and e-bikes, so it’s illegal to ride them specifically there.
Currently, the largest number of e-bikes and scooters are in Westside neighborhoods, such as Santa Monica, Westwood, and Venice. A large concentration also resides in Hollywood, DTLA, and Koreatown. Of all these areas, the best area based on safety and infrastructure is Santa Monica. Plus, they have a wide variety of options there. Even more, many of Blueground’s apartments are situated in Santa Monica and several West L.A. neighborhoods. So, you can have the convenience of renting a fully furnished and beautifully decorated turnkey apartment whilst being close to several e-scooters, e-bikes, and pedal bikes.
To see what scooters are available across all networks, download the Scooter Map app, and find a scooter near you. Also, make sure you pay attention to the ‘no-drop zones’. They represent the places where you can’t park your scooter at the end of a trip. Each company will mark these zones in their app so that there’s no confusion.
Other micro-mobility alternatives
Besides electric scooters, Los Angeles offers many other options for quickly moving around the city. These options include dockless bikes, dockless electric bikes, smart bikes, and station-based pedal and e-bikes:
- Dockless bikes: The company Lime, has shared pedal bikes that can you can park rather than return to a docking station. Yet, you need to drop the bike off in a safe and accessible area that’s not blocking a sidewalk
- Dockless electric bikes: Both Jump and Lime-E electric bikes, also called pedal-assist bikes, have motors that help you pedal up to 15 mph
- Smart bikes: Like dockless bikes, smart bikes have an integrated ‘lock-to system’. So, rather than docking it at a station, these bikes can self-lock allowing you to place it anywhere inside the system limits. You can find these style of bikes by companies such as Breeze Bike Share, WeHo Pedals, and Bruin Bike Share
- Station-based pedal and e-bikes: Metro Bike in LA has pedal bikes and e-bikes at various stations around LA. You don’t need an app to ride, just a TAP (public transit card) or credit card. Check the bike out from a docking station, ride around then lock it in the docking station when you’re done riding
What to bring on your ride
The e-scooters and e-bikes are suitable for just about any attire, including dress attire. It’s advised to wear close-toed shoes, although this is not a hard-fast rule. Also, bring a helmet with you because helmets are not available to rent at the stations, nor do they come with the scooters. You can bring a bag, purse or buy groceries while riding on an e-bike or pedal bike because they come equipped with large sized baskets at the front. Even more, bikes by Lime and Jump have smartphone holders.
Riding rules
While riding a pedal bike, you can ride on the sidewalk, if there is no designated bike lane. But, if you’re on an e-scooter or e-bike, you cannot ride on the sidewalk, because the speed of these two vehicles is much faster than the walking pace of a pedestrian. Always use your best judgment when on an electric scooter or bike. Keep yourself safe and consider the safety of the people around you. Also, don’t ride an e-scooter downhill because it’s next to impossible to stop.
Other helpful tips
To plan your trips a bit easier, consider downloading some helpful apps. The Social Bicycles app lets you access the new Bike Share Connect network. This network shows all available bikes in the Santa Monica, West Hollywood, UCLA, and Beverly Hills neighborhoods. Another great app is the Transit app. It’s a trip-planning app that shows dockless bikes and scooters near your location. It also gives you a detailed itinerary and estimates your travel time.
