DENVER — A Denver City Council committee got an update Wednesday on the city's shared bike and scooter program, which set an all-time ridership record last month even as sidewalk riding and reckless parking remain the top complaints in at least one council district.
The city says mandatory parking zones, new fines, and upgraded technology are on the way — changes one council member says can't come soon enough.
For Jose Romero, the sound of a bike bell means convenience. He rides a Veo bike every single day, taking it to and from work.
"I personally like them a lot," Romero said. "It makes it super convenient."
For Tim Keenan, who has been blind his entire life, it's a different story. He frequently finds himself trying to maneuver around the scooters and bikes left on Denver's sidewalks.
"Then bang, all of a sudden there's this big bike," Keenan said. "You're just frustrated."
Two different Denverites, two very different experiences with the same program — and on Wednesday, Denver leaders got an update on where things stand, in an attempt at clarity and solutions.
The complaints
City Council member Chris Hinds, who represents District 10, said sidewalk riding and reckless parking top the list of complaints his office hears about.
"It's the number one thing people are asking the District 10 office about," Hinds said.
Those are concerns Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) says it's working to correct. The department told council the shared scooter and bike program is bigger than ever — since May 1 alone, riders have taken more than 1.3 million trips, and the program has logged over 34 million rides since it launched in 2019. Aug. 21 set an all-time single-day record, with nearly 35,000 trips in one day.
DOTI also emphasized the program's role as a low-cost transportation option: more than 8,000 verified riders get 60 minutes free every day through the city's Access Program, and the department says a majority of riders use the service to get to work or medical appointments.
What's changing
By the end of December 2026, Denver will require a mandatory parking zone near Union Station — forcing riders to stay within a geofenced parking corral to end a trip. That strategy will expand to Five Points and the Central Business District by July 2027.
DOTI says it's also working to expand so-called slow zones, refine its geofencing technology, and continue installing LiDAR technology into scooters and bikes, which would help identify speed and objects to better determine if someone is riding on a sidewalk.
Hinds said the changes matter.
"They're incredibly important," Hinds said.
He said the strategies could help rebuild trust in the program, but he wants to see them implemented as soon as possible.
"It's that erosion of trust," Hinds said.
What it means for riders like Romero — and residents like Keenan
The city's goal is to get there without pulling the program back — so that riders like Romero can keep riding the scooters and bikes he depends on every day, while residents like Keenan don't have to worry about running into them on a walk down his street.
For now, that walk still comes with surprises.
"Oh, not again!" Keenan said.
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