Bird, Lime, Spin Renew Scooter Permits, May Expand to E-bikes this Summer

The city of Cleveland has renewed e-scooter permits for three of the four electronic mobility companies that launched in Cleveland in 2019. Bird, Lime and Spin, along with a new company — LINK, by Superpedestrian — have all been granted shared mobility permits, which allows them to offer their devices for rent.

Veoride, the fourth e-mobility company that launched in 2019, is no longer in Cleveland. 

The city noted that despite the pandemic, the shared mobility program has tallied more than 494,000 individual trips spanning more than 540,000 miles.

"As the program continues to mature, the city is working with the permitted operators to improve parking behavior, restrict riding on sidewalks, and expand access to scooter and bike share across Cleveland," a city press release stated.

Lime announced in a press release that it intends to expand its fleet to e-bikes later this summer. (The city has also granted Bird and Spin permits to expand into e-bikes if they choose, so they probably won't be far behind.)

All three companies continue to offer "access" programs for low-income Clevelanders. Lime offers discounted rides for those receiving federal assistance and students receiving financial aid. Bird offers a program called "Bird Access," which allows those enrolled in state or federal assistance programs to take unlimited trips of 30 minutes or less for $5 per month.

***
Sign up for Scene's weekly newsletters to get the latest on Cleveland news, things to do and places to eat delivered right to your inbox.