Motorized scooters are making their way back to the Twin Cities.
Lime is up and running in St. Paul after getting the green light from city council last week, but like everything else now, the second season of the partnership is different.
It’ll be less “scooting from your downtown St. Paul job to a Saints game” and more “close to home activities and errands.”
Lee Foley, the senior manager of government relations for the Upper Midwest for Lime, said they’re distributing 500 scooters primarily away from downtown and entertainment areas.
“People are rethinking their rides based on the pandemic,” he said. “Less rides are taking place in some of the more dense urban areas and you see more rides being taken in neighborhoods.”
Motorized scooters are open-air, single-occupant modes of transportation that make them well-suited for the coronavirus period. With hand sanitizer and a mask, they can make for a socially-distanced small outing.
Employees who move the scooters around the city will be outfitted with PPE. Back at the warehouse the scooters will get a cleaning, especially on the handlebars. They’re also notifying riders about common public safety guidelines includings masks and hand sanitizer.
What is the same as 2019 is the required equity component where people with lower incomes can qualify for discounted rides. Lime is also partnering with Twin Cities R!SE, an organization that helps people in poverty on the path to long-term employment.
Scooters are returning to Minneapolis as well after the city Thursday entered into agreements with Bird and Lyft.
The exact launch date hasn’t been announced. When the scooters hit the streets, there is one significant change. Instead of leaving the scooter lying on the ground, it must be locked onto a public bike rack or an on-street corral. Other rules are the same as last year, no riding on the sidewalk, and only ride in the same direction as motor traffic.