You may have noticed bright – lime green – bikes and scooters dotting downtown sidewalks and roadways recently. These are part of a two-month pilot program through a partnership with the City of Spokane and LimeBike.
LimeBike is a company that believes all communities deserve access to smart, affordable mobility, and offers alternative modes of transportation through the use of bicycles and motorized vehicles. LimeBikes are an alternative form of transportation that can decrease our carbon footprint and make getting around and parking that much easier.
Lime is currently testing to determine if the bike-sharing service can become as popular in Spokane as it has in other cities. LimeBikes are currently in 27 states, often located withing the state’s major urban cities. The company has supplied the City of Spokane with 200 bikes, both electric and peddle, and 100 motorized scooters to see how effective they could be in our city.
To use a bike, download the “LimeBike” app from your smart phone app store. Once downloaded, you can use the GPS to see where the vehicles are located. Find a vehicle, scan the bar-code located on the bike, input your payment information, and the bike or scooter will unlock for your personal use! Whether riding to an across town meeting, wheeling to lunch with coworkers, or enjoying a leisurely ride, LimeBikes are an easy and accessible way for you, your family, and friends to get around.
Once you have paid for the vehicle and arrived at your destination, lock it up and leave it safely on the sidewalk or out of the way for the next individual. To rent a ride, users must be at least 18 years old, have a driver’s license, and wear a helmet.
As of September 24, the city reports 13,251 individual rides and 14,034 total miles traveled. Survey results and feedback of the program are overwhelmingly positive with six out of seven citizens in favor of the program. Moving forward the City Council will be discussing areas of concern such as helmet laws, speed, and usage in parks.
In response to concerns about vandalism of bikes and adherence to traffic and helmet laws, Lime recently announced that only 1% of bikes have been vandalized in other pilot cities. In addition, LimeBike is offering those who download the account and pre-load $10 or more a free helmet in the mail and the city is also considering doing a helmet distribution day.
If you haven’t already, take one out for a spin and see if you believe this program could be one that would not only benefit you, but your peers and community as well.