The Santa Barbara City Council voted Tuesday to create a bikeshare program.

The 3-year pilot program will allow a company to operate self-service rental bicycles in the city. Operators will be required to apply for permits annually.

After the 3-year period, city staff and the Transportation and Circulation Committee will evaluate the success of the program. For now, the ordinance will apply to human-powered bicycles only, and not electric or pedal-assist.

The vote was 7-0.

“We look forward to collaborating with the city and expanding options and cutting down on single-occupancy vehicles,” said Marc Holden, operations manager for HOPR bikeshare, which has programs in Santa Monica, and at UCLA and UCSB.”

As part of the bikeshare program, operators will be required to remove bicycles left on sidewalks, provide useful data that will help the city understand user behavior, and provide a sufficient supply of bicycles in high-traffic locations, such as transit hubs, so that users can consistently rely on this service for their transportation needs.

The program, however, was not without its critics.

“What are we going to do when we have 25 to 30 bikes piled up on Earth Day or at the Bowl,” said Anna Marie Gott, a frequent critic of City Hall.

Reggie Drew, owner of Wheel Fun Rentals, said he would like a see a buffer zone to keep the shared bikes away from lower State Street “so I don’t get put out of business.”

Councilman Jason Dominguez said he shares the concerns of the businesses, but he is excited about the bikeshare program.

“This has been a long time coming,” Dominguez said. “It brings significant benefits to the environment, economy and public health.”

Councilwoman Megan Harmon agreed.

“I am really excited about what this means for our city,” Harmon said. 

Earlier this year, Santa Barbara decided against moving ahead with a scooter-share program, citing concerns about safety.

— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.