Get the latest market trends in your inbox
Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with the Axios Markets newsletter. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Minneapolis-St. Paul
Tampa-St. Petersburg news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa-St. Petersburg
A Bird scooter stands along 5th Ave. in Santa Monica, California. Photo: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
In Santa Monica, scooter startup Bird's hometown, the city planning department has recommended the council award its two pilot program permits to Lyft and Uber over the one-year-old electric scooter upstart. It remains to be seen who the director of planning department chooses.
Why it matters: Bird's initial deployment of its scooters in Santa Monica ruffled the city's feathers, and its relatively low score in the "compliance" category suggests the planning department hasn't forgotten. Notably, unlike the ride-hailing wars a few years ago, some scooter companies are choosing to stick to the rules this time around.
The story has been corrected to show that the director of the planning department, not city council, gets the final decision.