With the warmer weather now here, shared electric bikes and scooters are back throughout Minneapolis. These, along with the City’s mobility hubs and the As You Go MPLS campaign, are all getting started for the season to help provide healthy, accessible, environmentally-conscious ways for everyone to get around town, especially by bike.
Shared bikes and scooters from Lime and Veo – the City’s two licensed service providers – are now all over town and ready to be rented. Riders can choose between two e-bikes: pedal assisted ones that add some speed whenever riders pedal, and e-bikes that power the ride even when there’s no pedaling.
To help make access more equitable, Lime and Veo must have least 30% of their shared bikes scooters in lower income areas of Minneapolis, and no more than 40% of them can be Downtown. Both companies also have low-income pricing programs for qualified residents.
Shared bike and scooter riders can end their trip anywhere in the city and just lock their bike to a bike rack or to any signpost (except a stop sign or bus stop sign). Last year Public Works installed over 240 of the familiar bright City Blue bike and scooter racks around the city that anyone can use for shared and personal vehicles. Riding and parking rules are printed on every blue rack and on the City’s website.
Mobility hubs: Shared bikes and scooters can always be found at one of the City’s mobility hubs, which connect people to several different ways of getting around. This program, which began in 2019 with 12 hubs, now has 60 locations across Minneapolis. Look for “GO” signs at each mobility hub to see what services you’ll find there.
Mobility hubs are always on transit lines, such as light rail, bus rapid transit, regular bus service and Metro Transit’s micro service in North Minneapolis. Some mobility hubs include Hourcar and Evie electric car sharing as well as the EV chargers
All of these services support the As You Go MPLS campaign, which encourages people to leave their cars at home and try walking, biking, rolling or taking transit more often. This year, the campaign shares tips on how to get started and reasons why biking can be fun, affordable and stress free. As You Go MPLS supports the City’s Transportation Action Plan, which has a goal of having 60% of trips in Minneapolis taken by walking, biking or transit by 2030.
Learn how to rent, ride and park scooters, and more travel info at minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/transportation-programs/as-you-go-mpls/.