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SALT LAKE CITY — Move over scooters, there's a new electronic mode of transportation in town.
Lime, one of two companies that invaded Salt Lake City with electric scooters during the summer, began switching to electric bikes for the winter on Monday, said Salt Lake City transportation director Jonathan Larsen.
Lime is allowed to operate 500 vehicles (scooters, bikes, electric bikes) under the company’s agreement with the city, Larsen said. It means the company must remove a scooter for every bike added.
If the company added a docking station, they could operate more vehicles, which Larsen said the company was in the process of doing.
“For now, they have to pull a scooter for every bike they put out,” he said.
Larsen added that the company had planned to switch to electronic bikes in the winter because they would likely operate better during the colder and snowier months.
The electronic bikes can reach up to 14.8 miles per hour without a rider pedaling, Lime states on its website. The bikes have a 250-watt motor that they run on. Much like the scooters, they can be unlocked using the company’s mobile app.
The bikes cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute after that, Lime states. That equates to $10 for an hour and $9 for each hour after that.
It’s unclear if the electronic bikes will permanently replace the electric scooters after the winter. Lime officials didn’t immediately respond to an interview request about their plan for their future in Salt Lake City.
In the meantime, Larsen said the city is optimistic that the bikes will solve the top concern residents have had with scooters in the few months they were in the city: sidewalk riders.
“I’m hoping that sidewalk riding will be less of an issue with bikes than on scooters,” he said. “I think people generally feel more comfortable riding in the street with a bike.”
