E-bikes coming to Millbrae and Burlingame

“Will it take any parking spaces? I think it might and, if it is, I think we should be considerate of that. Understanding the locations, I think the locations should come back to this body for review,” said Goodman, who believes another public hearing regarding the corral locations would give the residents an opportunity to speak on it.

The hybrid parking system is fairly easy to adjust because the zoning is striped on the road with a concrete vinyl or temporary lining that is easy to remove.

The city is looking at 31 potential parking locations, 15 of them on the city’s property. Some of the city-owned locations are near Central Park, SamTrans bus stops, near City Hall, Millbrae Recreation Center, Richmond Drive, near the entrance of the Spur Trail, near the skate park and near the Rotary Park. Spin, the contracted E-bike provider, is reaching out to private property owners to see if there is an interest in having a parking zone or corral in front.

Councilmember Anders Fung said the success of the program will depend on the parking corral locations.

“Adding locations at the schools, where folks would use it during off hours on weekends for recreational purposes near the athletic stadium where Mills [High School] is, are strategic locations where it would probably be needed, also where the SamTrans bus stops are so riders could use it as a last mile transportation,” Fung said.

Spin was awarded the contract by both cities because of its lower user fees and competitive pay to local employees. It will hire two local employees between both cities who will move the bikes to heavily used locations, charge them and fix any issues. If the bike is left somewhere residents don’t want it will be moved within two hours of it being reported.

The Transportation Authority, an organization that allocates a half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation needs, awarded both Millbrae and Burlingame $200,000 grants each toward the multi-jurisdictional hybrid bike program, anticipated to launch in the coming months. Additionally, each city will contribute an additional $20,000. The ebikes will cost $100,000, racks and parking zones will cost an additional $100,000 with an additional $100,000 spent on marketing.

The existing status quo requires individual jurisdictions across San Mateo County to develop their own shared micromobility programs and guidelines, according to the City/County Association of Governments website. However, studies indicated successful multi-jurisdictional programs in Sacramento where a countywide program could be deemed necessary depending on the success of this program.

Councilmember Gina Papan questioned whether the bikes had enough power to make it up the city’s steep hills. City staff assured the bikes can make it up the hills and the bike is restricted to 20 mph.

How it works

Users download the Spin app. It shows the nearest bikes and the battery life left. The bike is unlocked with a QR code on the handle bars. It will run the user through some safety rules so the rider is familiar with how to operate the bike. The user rides to their chosen destination and the app will show a preferred parking location that comes with an incentive. When the user is finished they take a picture of how they parked the bike and submit it in the app.

Mayor Ann Schneider said she wants city staff to do more research on corral and parking zone locations and do more outreach with the homes and entities surrounding those potential locations before returning to the council with further information.

‘Some cities with more developed art programs have community bike racks that are really artistic,” Schneider said. “So, I am really curious to see what the bike racks will look like.”

Spin will provide demo days at a later date, where it will allow the community to test drive the ebikes before the program launches. Scooters might roll out if the program is successful.

nick@smdailyjournal.com

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