BOISE, Idaho — More electric scooters and bikes will be available for rent in more places around Boise — but from only one company — under a contract the Boise City Council approved Tuesday night.
The contract designates Lime as the sole provider of e-scooter and e-bike shared mobility service in the city.
According to a news release from Boise Planning and Development Services, Lime will soon place up to 800 scooters and 150 e-bikes throughout the city, with 50 more e-bikes placed by September. Also, Lime will "expand the location of devices beyond downtown to include areas like the Boise Towne Square Mall and other underserved Boise neighborhoods."
Boise residents who begin a Lime trip in the Borah, Central Bench, Liberty Park, Vista, West Boise and West Bench neighborhoods will automatically receive a 50% discount. Also, low-income residents who qualify for Lime Access will receive 70% off all rides.
For people with disabilities, Lime offers a device similar to a motorized wheelchair. It can be reserved at no charge to the user.
To address concerns about parking that have stemmed from bike and scooter placement, there will be preferred parking areas in the city's busiest areas to help prevent the devices from blocking sidewalks and ramps.
E-scooters and e-bikes can be used in the following places within the city of Boise:
- On streets, sidewalks and crosswalks
- In bike lanes
- On the Greenbelt
Riders are reminded to park scooters and bikes in a manner that allows for access to foot traffic, ramps, push buttons and entryways.
Lime will have staff at community events over the next several months to help educate riders and provide safety training.
E-scooter service in Boise began in 2018. At the time, a city ordinance allowed for up to three vendors. Along with Lime, scooters owned by Bird and Spin have been placed in the city in the years since the service was first authorized. Valley Regional Transit conducted the Valle-eBike pilot program from July through October 2022.
However, according to background information in the resolution approved Tuesday, as more e-scooter vendors offer e-bikes, "this prompts the need for a new, streamlined, single-operator approach to micromobility management to better align with city goals and improve this public service."
The city received four bids from e-scooter and e-bike vendors for the sole-provider contract. Three made the shortlist. Neutron Holdings, doing business as Lime, scored highest, followed by the parent company of Spin. Scoring third-highest was Bird.
According to information from the city's request for proposals, Lime will pay the city an annual operating fee, anticipated to be $100,000 for the first year. Other fees, such as abatement fees, will also apply. Lime, as an independent contractor, will be responsible for worker's compensation, personal injury and property damage insurance.
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