Nov. 24—Winter in Spokane has unofficially begun — Lime has been sweeping its rentable scooters and bikes off the city's streets, marking the beginning of the end of the 2023 scooter season.
It was a good season for Lime, statistically the best the company has had since its scooters debuted in Spokane five years ago. Usage was up 28% this year compared to 2022, and Spokane County riders have hopped on Lime's vehicles nearly 600,000 times since March.
Lime scooters are likely to return to Spokane roads in spring, but the company's contract with the city only runs through November. In the coming months, the City Council will either work on a new scooter contract with Lime, switch to one of Lime's competitors or allow multiple companies to operate rentable scooters in Spokane simultaneously.
City Council members said that they've had mixed reactions to Lime scooters in the last five years.
The scooters are undoubtedly fun, and likely encourage people to spend more time downtown. They're also a convenient form of transportation that reduces reliance on cars.
"I think it's a great tool," City Councilman Michael Cathcart said. "It's a nice amenity."
But the 1,500 or so scooters that live on Spokane's streets in spring, summer and fall also come with significant downsides, and council members said they want to ensure the city's next scooter contract places more restrictions on scooter operators.
City Councilwoman Karen Stratton said she believes too many Lime scooter riders behave irresponsibly. They travel on sidewalks illegally. They leave scooters in problematic places on sidewalks, too.
Scattered scooters in the middle of walking paths pose a hardship for people with disabilities, Stratton said. She said she knows a blind woman who has difficulty walking around them. People in wheelchairs sometimes find them an insurmountable obstacle, too.
In addition to keeping Lime scooters off sidewalks, Stratton said she wants to figure out a way to prevent kids from riding scooters. People aren't required to wear helmets when riding Lime scooters, and in theory, people younger than 18 aren't allowed to use the vehicles at all.
Spokane needs to figure out a way to protect kids "short of hiring nuns with big rulers to stand on street corners and smack people."
Paul Dillon, a newly elected city councilman who will take office in January, said he's primarily concerned with the negative environmental impact of Lime scooters thrown in the Spokane River.
"That has to be a priority in conversations going forward," Dillon said. "It feels like it's been too swept-under-the-rug."