EVERETT — On May 17, the company Lime deployed approximately 100 battery-assisted, rentable riding scooters in Everett as part of a three-month pilot agreement with the city.
Lime said in a statement that “this new option provides affordable access to a sustainable, convenient mobility option for Everett residents and visitors alike.”
Riders must abide by the city’s scooter regulations: they are to be ridden in bike lanes or on roads with 25 mph or lower speed limits. Not on sidewalks. And helmets are required.
Public-use helmets will be distributed, Lime’s Jonathan Hopkins said. The company’s age restriction to ride is 18.
The company will be deploying the scooters at specific spots for now, but use geographic data to try to spread the scooters around the city, Hopkins said in response to concerns raised by Councilwoman Liz Vogeli that scooters might just be deployed in North Everett.
The scooters are rented and ridden to their destination, meaning they are left wherever. The electric scooters are picked up at night to be recharged and re-deployed.
The city asks that people leave scooters on the sidewalk closest to the curb, city traffic engineer Tim Miller said. The company has instructions in the app on where to leave the scooters.
The launch was timed for last weekend’s Fisherman’s Village Music Festival.
CORRECTION: In the print version, this story said Lime is a scooter company. It also offers rentable bicycles in Seattle and other cities.
