Denver's Scooter and Bike Share Program

• Electric scooters and bikes should only be ridden where bicycles are allowed to ride and should not be ridden on sidewalks unless actively parking, starting, or ending a trip.
• If riding on sidewalks to start or end a trip, users must yield to pedestrians, announce themselves when approaching from behind, and operate at speeds not to exceed 6 miles per hour.
• Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals
• Ride with the flow of traffic
• Never ride under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
• Users must observe and respect all designated “no ride/no parking areas”
• Park shared micromobility vehicles like you would a personal bike or car, and avoid parking in the middle of sidewalks, curb ramps, transit stops/stations, trails, streets, or anywhere else that impedes pedestrian access.

NOTE: When reporting a parking issue, you must provide an address and specify the operator (Lime or Lyft), and the type of parking violation; otherwise, we cannot notify the operator to remedy the issue.

Bikes and scooters that are incorrectly parked should be reported so Lime and/or Lyft know to remedy the violation.  There is also an option to report bikes and scooters that are being ridden incorrectly.  The city provides an easy way to report them by calling 311 and through our Violation Form by following the process below:

1. Determine if the bike or scooter is parked incorrectly such as, blocking the sidewalk, curb ramps, utility access, and/or on private property, specific examples include:

• Not standing upright using kickstand
• Not permitting at least 5ft of pedestrian clearance
• Not permitting at least 4ft of utilities clearance
• Parked within 1.5ft (18in) from the curb or building
• Parked blocking visibility/sight triangles at intersections or transit stops
• Parked on private property
• Not in good working order

       º Dilapidated
       º Broken/missing kickstand
       º Missing ID number or QR code

2. Take photos of the violation, ID number, and QR code to submit with violation

3. Identify the Operator

         º Lime – Green & Red
         º Lyft – Pink & Black

4. Determine if the vehicle is being ridden incorrectly and report a moving violation ticket:

         º Riding on sidewalk
         º Speeding
         º Riding in wrong direction
         º Disobeying traffic laws
         º Other    

5. Violation Type (Operator, User, or Moving)

Violation Form

• Operator Violation – Bikes or scooters deployed by Lime or Lyft. Often deployed in groups of five or more. Damage to vehicles (such flat tires, graffiti, broken kickstands, or other vehicle damage) is also an operator violation.
• User Violation – Bikes or scooters parked by riders after use. These are often parked in groups of one to three scooters or bicycles, rather than five or ten like when the operators deploy vehicles.
• Moving Violation – Any unlawful operation of a Lime or Lyft scooter or bicycle. This includes behaviors such as sidewalk-riding, riding against the flow of traffic, or disobeying signage or signals.
• NOTE:
  • Please do not use this form to report moving or parking violations committed by individuals riding personally owned devices; these reports are not reviewed by any department with the authority to issue tickets for unsafe riding.
  • E-bikes and e-scooters are subject to Colorado’s Safety Stop law. This allows riders to treat stop signals as drivers are expected to treat stop signs, and to treat stop signs as drivers are expected to treat yield signs. Please click here to view the Safety Stop law on the Colorado General Assembly’s website.

The City of Denver has partnered with Lime and Lyft to create designated parking areas where riders can park bikes or scooters, including marked pavement boxes, signed parking corrals, racks and stations.

 Lyft Parking Station

 Lyft Parking Corral

 Lime Parking Corral

The Dos:            

• Devices should be parked upright at all times.
• Park in designated parking areas or near racks when possible.
• Always maintain a minimum five-foot clear pedestrian path on sidewalks.

Park upright

Park in designated areas

Park leaving at least five feet of clear space so pedestrians can pass

Park next to or locked to bike racks when possible

Park next to properly parked vehicles when possible

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The Don’ts:

• Don't block sidewalks, curb ramps, wheelchair ramps or bus stops.
• Don’t block fire hydrants, call boxes or other emergency facilities.
• Don’t block driveways.
• Don’t park inside transit facilities, on railroad tracks or crossings, or inside railroad rights-of-way.
• Don’t park in loading or freight zones.
• Don't park in parking garages.
• Don't park in building or resident entryways.

Don't park blocking walkways

Don't park blocking sidewalks

Don't park blocking crosswalks or curb ramps

Don't leave on side or too close to the curb

DOTI secured 5,280 free passes from both operators as part of the license agreement and is working with Lime and Lyft to distribute them via various channels. 

If you are interested in learning more and adding your name to a list to potentially receive one of these free passes, please sign up here:

Free Pass Inquiries - Shared Mobility Program

In 2018, Denver launched a Shared Micromobility Pilot Program, which permitted electric scooters and bikes to operate in the public right-of-way.  Through the pilot, DOTI observed that shared micromobility provided an effective opportunity to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips, enhance people’s connections to transit and provide other ways to get around. Over the course of the pilot, over four million trips were taken in Denver, averaging over four thousand trips per day.

In 2021, Denver City Council approved the City to move ahead with licensing agreements for Lyft and Lime to operate scooter and bike share services.  As part of those agreements, Lyft and Lime will work with the City to install 375 to 675 parking stations.  The stations will create dedicated places for people to park their scooters and bikes to prevent crowding on sidewalks. In addition, Lyft and Lime will fund and partner with the City on a large-scale engagement plan to educate people on how to ride and where to park. Both companies will also offer reduced rates for residents in need-based programs and offer free ride opportunities for Denver residents.

More on the Licensing Agreements:

• Each company will be licensed to initially deploy a maximum of 1,500 electric scooters.

• Each company is required to provide a shared bike service, supplying bikes at a rate of 20% of their scooter fleet, at minimum (example: 1,500 scooters = 300 bikes).

• At least 30% of vehicles will be made available daily in communities that have historically been underinvested to increase their access to new transportation options, particularly focusing on areas with low-vehicle ownership and high transit ridership.

• Vehicles must be equipped with “geofencing” technology that will automatically slow the vehicles down to 3mph when a rider enters a designated area where pedestrian volumes are known to be high – such as the 16th Street Mall, where scooters are specifically not permitted – to increase safety for people on foot.

FAQ coming soon