Minneapolis launches year-round shared e-bike and scooter program

For Minneapolis residents and tourists seeking transportation options beyond cars and buses, the city launched its shared e-bike and scooter program.

Companies Lime and Spin will pilot year-round operations, as the weather allows. Previously, the program shut down at the end of November and resumed in April.

“What’s kind of changing this year is we have their license actually extends through the winter, and so if they still find it worth it, they’re going to be authorized to keep their vehicles out throughout the winter, as long as there's not an excessive amount of snow and ice buildup,” said Dillon Fried, a senior project manager with the city’s public works department who oversees the program.

Fried said licensees Lime and Spin will each have 1,000 e-bikes and 1,000 scooters to rent. Both companies will have Class 1 pedal assist e-bikes and Class 2 e-bikes.

The city said equity is a focus of the program. At least 30 percent of the scooters must be distributed in equity distribution areas in north and south Minneapolis. A maximum of 40 percent is allowed in downtown, and the remaining 30 percent is for other neighborhoods.

“If you don’t own your bike, or if you’re somewhere where you don’t have your bike around, and you want to take a trip on an e-bike or scooter that’s relatively affordable, it’s a great option to use micro-mobility instead of using some other type of transportation,” Fried said.

Fried says in 2024, participants took 1.25 million rides, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 200,000.

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