Portland entered a new transportation era today, as the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced new partnerships designed to make shared e-scooters a permanent part of the city's transportation environment, with more options and more accessible service than ever before.
After a competitive process, PBOT this year awarded multiyear contracts to Lyft and Lime, the leading e-scooter companies in the nation, to provide up to 3,500 e-scooters combined among the two companies. The public-private partnership requires the companies to deploy scooters across the city each day, to make sure Portlanders don't have to go far to find a ride.
PBOT also requires them to provide scooters with seats, a feature that makes them more accessible for people who may not be comfortable riding a conventional scooter that requires standing. The companies are also required to offer discounts for people living on low incomes. Discounts are available through the Lime Access and BIKETOWN's Community Pass programs.
A new locking requirement will make sure every e-scooter has a built-in locking mechanism. All e-scooter riders will be required to end their trip by locking the device to a bike rack, signpost or BIKETOWN station (BIKETOWN scooters only). This should reduce the instances of scooters blocking sidewalks or corner ramps. A public information campaign and centralized dispatch number will make it easy for the public to report e-scooters that are blocking the sidewalks.
PBOT’s hope is to make shared e-scooters and shared e-bikes—known as “micromobility”—reliable, accessible, and sustainable options for transportation now and in the future, PBOT Director Millicent Williams said.
“Portlanders have long embraced biking, walking and public transit, and since the end of the pandemic we have seen them embrace shared e-bikes and shared e-scooters at record levels,” Williams said. "We’re supporting these sustainable transportation options with our growing network of over 400 miles of bikeways and by committing to a permanent program for shared e-scooter service. The public-private partnership that PBOT staff created will make e-scooters more accessible to more Portlanders, while also showing cities across the nation that sustainable transportation can be good business."
“Combining bikes and scooters seamlessly in one app through a single membership has the power to get even more people out of cars and experiencing the benefits of transportation on two wheels,” said Kanika Agrawal, Regional Director of Micromobility Operations for Lyft. “Riders are going to love our new scooter, which was purpose-built with a focus on safety and reliability, while keeping the rider experience top of mind. We are grateful to our partners at PBOT and Nike for the opportunity to usher in this next phase of micromobility in Portland.”
“Lime is proud to have served Portland since 2018. Over the last six years, our riders have completed over four million trips; and we’re grateful to our community partners, and colleagues at PBOT for joining us in our mission to decarbonize transportation for all Portlanders,” said Hayden Harvey, Director of Government Relations for Lime. “The new permanent program has been built intentionally to better serve the community with a focus on equity and long-term durability. Lime looks forward to continuing to get Portlanders where they need to go for years to come.”
Sarah Iannarone, executive director of The Street Trust, said shared e-scooters have proven themselves to be a valuable way for people to get around while reducing pollution, carbon emissions and traffic congestion.
"The Street Trust was an early leader in e-scooter safety education and has collaborated over the years with both Lime and Lyft to ensure safety for e-scooter riders and the public," Iannarone said. "Together, we have enhanced safe, equitable access to shared e-scooters as a personal mobility tool that connects people seamlessly to nearby destinations and expands access to public transit for longer trips. We are excited to welcome these providers (back) to Portland and will continue fighting alongside them for increased investments in e-scooter education and complete streets where riders can travel safely and enjoyably."
Momoko Saunders, Vendor Manager for suma, a Portland organization focused on community driven technology solutions that make essential services more affordable for low-income individuals, people of color, and adults with disabilities while protecting their privacy, said partnerships with Lime and Lyft will increase access for Portlanders.
"Suma wants to thank the many community members and grassroots partners who have helped us design, launch and grow the suma platform, a bilingual commerce app that addresses the barriers preventing low-income people and other frontline community members from using their devices to access clean mobility and other essential goods and services. We're excited to be a key part of Portland's clean mobility team and look forward to growing our integration with Lime and to bringing Lyft e-scooters and e-bikes onto the platform."
Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation