Electric scooters, bikes zip back into town Monday

More than 500 Lime electric scooters and bikes will return to Spokane beginning Monday, available for use during Bike to Work week.

The Silicon Valley company brought its shared vehicles to town last fall for a successful demonstration trial. Since the pilot project ended in November, the city has been working on rules surrounding the new technology. Users aren’t required to wear helmets, though they are encouraged to, and riding is not allowed on sidewalks.

The cost to ride has increased 10 cents per minute. Riders still must pay $1 to unlock the scooter or bike, but now the cost per minute is 25 cents.

The city and Lime are also launching rider education campaigns.

First, they want riders to always be aware of their location. Downtown users must ride in the street or in the bike lanes. Outside the city core, the city recommends scooters be ridden on the sidewalk on streets with speed limits greater than 30 mph.

Speeds should be monitored. On the Centennial Trail, the speed limit for everyone is 15 mph. Built-in technology will automatically slow scooters to 7 mph in Riverfront Park.

The dockless vehicles are available to rent through Lime’s smartphone app, and users must be 18 years old to legally ride.

More information will be available near the skate ribbon in Riverfront Park on Monday morning.