Shared e-bikes and scooters return to Minneapolis and could be on the streets all year

Shared electric scooters and bikes rolled out on Monday in Minneapolis, and they could stay on the streets long after the traditional riding season ends in the fall.

Vendors Lime and Spin will operate the program in 2025 and will have the option to keep their offerings available through the winter, according to terms agreed to with the city.

Minneapolis granted the companies licenses covering an entire year rather than just for the warmer weather months, a first for the city, said Dillon Fried, senior project manager for Minneapolis.

Lime was working through the night and into Monday to get its new throttle e-bikes and classic Gen4 e-scooters out, a company spokesman said.

“It’s the first day of the season,” Fried said. “We are excited to get things going.”

Last year was a banner year as users of the shared transportation took more than 1.25 million trips and logged almost 2.2 million miles, city data showed.

After hitting a low point in 2020 when the pandemic suppressed ridership, “we have been building back year over year,” Fried said. In 2024, the city recorded more rides on e-bikes and e-scooters than ever, he said. And Fried’s expecting that record to be broken this year.

Spin will have about 1,000 total bikes and scooters on the streets at the start of the season with the ability to add more if demand is high. Lime will have about 2,000 bikes and scooters in service, said LeAaron Foley, Lime’s senior director of government and community relations

Greater availability is fueling the optimism for record usage this year, Fried said.

Following the lead of peer cities such as Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago, Minneapolis will allow both Spin and Lime to operate through the winter. The companies will have discretion about keeping its vehicles available during the harshest winter months. The city also has the option to order the companies to remove scooters and bikes if conditions warrant, Fried said.

But if the winter of 2025-26 is anything like the past two in the Twin Cities, which have been light on snow and ice, “we could see some ridership.”

Extending the riding season fits with the city’s mode-shift goals of reducing the number of trips taken by solo car drivers by 20%. Currently people driving alone make up 40% of trips that start or end in Minneapolis, according to city data.

Riders can check out a bike or scooter by using an app and paying a standard hourly fee. The companies also will have reduced rates for those who qualify based on income and enroll in company-specific programs, Fried said.

Foley expects Lime’s throttle bikes to be a big hit.

“By giving riders the option to travel without pedaling, the throttle e-bike will help everyone looking for an easier ride, from folks who worry about cycling stamina to everyday cyclists aiming to avoid a sweaty journey to work,” Foley said.

Scooters could be on St. Paul streets in the coming weeks, said Lisa Hiebert with the city’s Public Works Department. The contracts the city signs state the programs normally start around April 15, “and we’re still on track for that,” she said.

A resolution to approve a contract with a vendor is set to be read at Wednesday’s St. Paul City Council meeting.

“If there are no issues, we should get the contract finalized with their proof of insurance shortly thereafter and they can start deploying scooters,” Hiebert said.