The options for getting a Lyft in Santa Monica has hit a new gear. Lyft’s rideshare cars and scooters will now be sharing city streets with new Lyft electric bikes. Lyft’s relatively recent expansion into the bike-share market arrived in Santa Monica on September 29, 2020.
Spectrum News1-TV reported the Lyft pedal-assist e-bikes are replacing the city’s Breeze bicycle program and will use the same docking stations already in place around town. The roll-out by Lyft includes 100 bikes now but the number will grow to 500 e-bikes, with coverage on the Westside, over the next few months.
Reserving and Paying for a Lyft Bike Ride
To snag a Santa Monica Lyft bike you’ll use the Lyft app to scan your ride’s QR code. The bikes are $1 to unlock and $0.34 per minute to ride. You can even find an available bike on the app’s map and reserve it 10 minutes in advance.
Another way to pay includes the Lyft Community pass system. The pass allows low-income residents and qualifying Santa Monica Community College students to use a five dollar a month option that allows bike rental for just five cents a minute.
To end your ride, use the attached cable to lock your e-bike to any Breeze station. There are 80 Breeze stations across the city. You can also lock to any public bike rack within the West Los Angeles service area for an extra $1. You can find more ride information on the Santa Monica Lyft site.
Lyft Bike Traffic Laws
California law only requires you to wear a helmet if you are under 18-years-old. Lyft does recommend you wear one to protect you in case of an accident.
You must ride your bike in the street or in a bike lane when it’s available. Do not ride on the sidewalk unless it’s part of a designated route or you’re about to park.
Santa Monica motor vehicle laws apply to bicycles and scooters. So make sure you stop at red lights and stop signs, ride in the same direction as traffic, and leave crosswalks clear for pedestrians.
Santa Monica Lyft E-Bikes Ready for Riding
Keep in mind that Lyft Bikes are boosted by electricity but you are still required to pedal when riding. The pedaling will just be much easier than a normal bike though. They are great options for affordable, environmentally-friendly transportation across town and can even be part of a healthier lifestyle.
Santa Monica has always been a testing ground for new technology and transportation ventures and this opportunity is no different. Lyft’s new bike share program in the city is just an extension of a nationwide coverage plan that already includes service in Minneapolis, San Francisco, San Jose, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Portland.
