Santa Monica’s Shared Mobility program to be expanded Mar. 12, 2021 at 6:00 am Transit: While car trips declined, bus usage and bike ridership remained strong during the pandemic. File photos Santa Monica’s Shared Mobility program will soon be expanded to include four operators after a 5-2 vote by City Council this week. Staff recommended that Council shift the city’s mobility program from its current permitting model to a contracting model in order to mitigate affordability concerns and market volatility that has disrupted service for some customers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Councilmembers decided to extend the city’s current pilot program to June 30, 2021, approve a second permit-based Shared Mobility Pilot Program and asked staff to issue a Request for Applications seeking for up to four shared mobility operators in Santa Monica from July 1, 2021, through March 30, 2023.