Denver's Shared Bike and Scooter Program

• Operator Violation – Bikes or scooters deployed by Lime or Bird. Often deployed in groups of five or more. Damage to vehicles (such as 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 Bird scooter or bicycle. This includes behaviors such as sidewalk riding, riding against the flow of traffic, or disobeying signage or signals.

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 a combined 400+ 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 steeply discounted rates for residents in need-based programs and offer other discounted ride opportunities for Denver residents.

More on the Licensing Agreements:

• 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 when a rider enters a designated area where pedestrian volumes are known to be high – such as the 16th Street Mall, where scooters' and bicycles' speeds are restricted.

NOTE: In December 2024, Lyft was replaced by Bird.

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