LNK Scooter Program To Continue

Courtesy of City of Lincoln

Lincoln, NE (October 4, 2022) Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) Director Liz Elliott today announced the City’s electric scooter program, ScooterLNK, has resumed operations following a successful 16-month pilot program. The Lincoln City Council approved the permanent electric scooter program in March.

During the pilot program, ScooterLNK tracked more than 91,400 trips. The average trip duration was 12 minutes with an average distance of .95 miles. More than 25,000 unique users participated in pilot program.

“With the return of ScooterLNK, we are excited to offer a permanent micro-mobility option for community members,” Elliott said. “During the pilot program, 21% of electric scooter users indicated that an electric scooter trip replaced a car trip. This form of transportation is another step towards achieving our goal of building a decarbonized and efficient transportation system as a part of the Lincoln Climate Action Plan.”

The territory for ScooterLNK operations has expanded to an area bordered roughly by Huntington Avenue to the north, South Street to the south, South 48th Street to the east and Southwest Second Street to the west. ScooterLNK’s operating hours have been extended by two hours and are now from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

“Results from our pilot program show electric scooters are many times utilized for multimodal trips, allowing community members to ride an electric scooter to a bus stop or bike station,” said Roberto Partida, LTU Transportation Planner. “By expanding electric scooter service into residential neighborhoods south and east of downtown, we are pleased to offer another reliable, safe, and accessible form of transportation to those who work and live near the downtown area and around Lincoln.”

Two electric scooter vendors will be operating in Lincoln, Lime and Veo. Each operator is allowed to deploy 250 electric scooters. The access process is as follows:

Lime electric scooter riders must download the “Lime–#RideGreen” app on a mobile device. It costs $1 to unlock an electric scooter and 34 cents per minute to ride.
Veo electric scooters will be available in spring 2023. Fees will be announced at that time.

Operating rules include:

Riders in the downtown area must ride in the street and in designated bike lanes.
E-scooters are not allowed to operate on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or higher.
E-scooters are not allowed on multi-use paths or City trails.
E-scooters are not allowed on Lincoln transit/StarTran vehicles.
Riders are urged to wear a helmet for safety.
Riders must be age 18 and older and have a driver’s license or valid state issued ID.
All traffic rules, signals, and signs apply to e-scooter operation.
E-scooters must be operated with the flow of traffic in bicycle or vehicle lanes.
Riders must yield to pedestrians and walk e-scooters on sidewalks when parking.
Riders must not operate e-scooters under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Only one rider is allowed on an e-scooter at a time.

Parking rules include:

Use designated parking areas if possible.
Park e-scooters within the furniture/landscape area of the city sidewalk, next to bicycle racks, trash cans or flowerpots.
Allow at least 4 feet of usable pedestrian walking space around e-scooters at all times.

Electric scooter parking is not allowed in the following areas:

Within 15 feet of intersections
Lincoln transit zones like bus stops, shelters, boarding platforms, passenger waiting areas and bus layover and staging areas
Loading zones
Disabled parking zones
Within the street furniture that requires pedestrian access like benches, parking pay stations, bus shelters, transit information signs, etc.
Curb ramps
Entryways to buildings or alleys
Driveways

For maps and information on the ScooterLNK program, visit lincoln.ne.gov/scooter or contact Roberto Partida, LTU Transportation Planner, at 402-440-7239 or at [email protected].