DENVER — Lyft and Lime could become the only scooter and bike share services offered in Denver, following a bidding process for the operation of the services in the city.
Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) is moving the two licensing agreements through the Denver City Council approval process. On March 23, DOTI will present the licensing agreements to Denver City Council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for approval before heading to full council for consideration.
Currently, dockless electric scooter and bike companies operate through a permit in Denver, but the license lays out operation plans that the city says are "most beneficial to Denver's residents and visitors." Both companies would serve as partners to the city to help further the goals of Denver's Mobility Action Plan. The licenses would be valid for five years, if approved by council.
As part of the new bike share and scooter program, the two companies would be licensed to deploy 1,500 electric scooters each. They're also required to provide a shared bike service at a rate of 20% of their scooter fleet, at minimum.
The companies must also make at least 30% of their scooters and bikes available each day to certain areas, particularly focusing on parts of the city with low vehicle ownership and high transit ridership to help increase access.
They're also required to offer free and/or subsidized passes to residents to attract new riders and increase choices around the city. The scooters and bikes must also be equipped with geofencing technology to automatically slow scooters and bikes down to 3 mph in designated areas that have high foot traffic.
In a statement, Lyft says, in part:
“Through this partnership with the city, we are excited to bring even more mobility options to Denver to help reduce congestion and emissions,” said Patrick Quintana, the general manager of Lyft Bikes and Scooters in Denver. “Denver already knows and loves Lyft scooters, and we’re excited to offer all our modes to the community via the Lyft app. Riders will soon be able to access ebikes, scooters, RTD passes, and rideshare all with just a few taps.”
A vote on the decision at Denver City Council is expected April 5.