Monterey, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

5, adopted by Ordinance 3330 in 2003, makes it unlawful to operate "any motorized scooter, as that term is defined in the California Vehicle Code," on the Recreation Trail, the paved multi-use path that runs along Monterey's waterfront past Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and the Municipal Wharf. Because the ban incorporates the Vehicle Code's definition of "motorized scooter" rather than a City-specific one, it reaches the standing, two-wheeled, motor-assisted scooters that dockless share companies like Bird and Lime deploy, not just gas-powered mopeds; the Trail is therefore a blanket no-ride zone for that device category regardless of who owns or operates the scooter.

The section sits alongside § 22-13's separate ban on reckless operation of bicycles, skateboards and skates on the same Trail, and § 22-14's specific skateboard ban between Municipal Wharf No. 1 and the Pacific Grove line, showing the City has built a layered set of Trail-specific vehicle restrictions rather than one general rule. 5 addresses only where scooters, once present in the city, may not be ridden. A rider entering the Trail on a shared scooter is violating the section the moment they cross onto the path, whether they started their ride within Monterey or rolled in from an adjacent city.