Baltimore is seeing a second crop of sharable e-scooters on the streets as September begins.
Lime began to roll out its fleet over Labor Day weekend, with the first GPS-enabled scooters arriving Saturday morning. The Lime-S models are available to unlock with the company’s app for $1, with rides costing an additional 15 cents a mile.
The company is one of two mobility outfits cleared to participate under the city’s dockless transportation pilot program, which was announced last month at the same time the city ended its beleaguered bike share program. The pilot allows both Lime and fellow e-scooter operator Bird to operate 1,000 scooters each in the city. It’s also a bid to increase access, as scooters are required to be placed in neighborhoods where 40 percent of households make $25,000 or less a year.
“We are confident that this new partnership with Lime will enhance transportation options to a great many more citizens across our city,” Baltimore city Transportation Director Michelle Pourciau said in a statement.
The companies will pay the city $15,000 to operate over the next six months, plus a dollar a day for each scooter deployed, the Baltimore Sun reported. Lime also offers dockless bicycles in other cities, but there are no signs of those appearing locally yet.
“Lime is thrilled to bring dock-free smart mobility options to Baltimore, and we applaud the City for moving quickly on a pilot program that can greatly improve the connectivity in and around the city,” Lime Director of Strategic Development Maggie Gendron said in a statement. “We hope the fees Lime is paying to the City to participate in the program will help the City move towards more accessible and equitable mobility options, including increased and protected bike lanes.”
While there’s freedom to park a scooter where a trip ends, the company has a few rules of the road. “Riders must be 18 years or older, have a valid driver’s license and wear a helmet,” the company states. Below is a step-by-step guide for riding — with safety tips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=zOMYOBBRtM8
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