Dockless, shared, electric kick-scooters started popping up on U.S. city streets without warning in 2017. These battery-powered devices are motorized versions of kick-scooters. They have long, narrow platform where riders stand, two small in-line wheels at the front and back, and a vertical pole at the front with handlebars, a throttle, and brake controls. The "shared" versions of these devices are owned by for-profit companies offering the scooters for short-term rental, and "dockless" refers to company policy that riders may leave the device at any destination, rather than requiring that the scooters be physically returned to a fixed set of docking stations. 

Reactions from communities where dockless scooter share is available came just as swiftly as the scooters. On the one hand, the scooters have proven popular with riders, attracting investment capital  allowing companies to expand service to additional cities. Some commentators have pointed out the shared scooters' potential to provide convenient, affordable travel for short trips, especially "first and last-mile" connection trips for transit users. Others have been less enthusiastic, with a central complaint being how shared scooters are parked. Critics argue that scooters create "visual clutter" and block the pedestrian path of travel and access.  Public agencies are also learning from experiences with other new mobility services and want to make sure that dockless systems operate equitably and transparently and protect users' privacy. 

California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has partnered with the San Francisco based smart mobility company, Lime, to bring dockless electric scooters to campus. Lime representatives held a pop-up demonstration at CSUMB on September 2018 to introduce the electric scooters and give test rides.  All of Lime's scooters are GPS and 3G-enabled, making it simple for riders to find, unlock and pick up a nearby vehicle using their smartphone. When the ride is finished, riders simply end the ride with the Lime mobile app and responsibly park by the street curb, or at a bike rack. All safety and proper riding information can also be found in the app. 

Lime representatives will provide an overview of their program at CSUMB and will address questions from Committee members.