BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — After months of planning and proposals, Lime will become the sole e-scooter/e-bike service provider in Boise.
Boise City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night, in favor of a proposal to give Lime Micromobility exclusive rights to the city, including areas previously not served such as Boise Towne Square Mall.
Tim Keane, Boise's Planning and Development Services Director spoke Wednesday, on the decision to choose Lime. He noted that the first thing the city looked for was low costs for residents.
"So one of the things that we did in selection of this partner Lime, is commit to getting a rate that was affordable as we could," Keane said.
The city had desired to move to one provider since e-scooters were introduced to downtown in 2018, but things started making progress last October, when the city announced it was looking to move to one service provider, rather than the three they had at the time.
"A few years ago, Boise like all cities had scooters and e-bikes come to the city," Keane said. "And since scooters came to the city, we've been regulating three companies (Bird, Lime, Spin) to provide that service in the city. We decided as other cities did, that it'd be better to have a partner, a single company providing the service in the city."
Other factors also went into the city's decision to choose Lime. Some will point out that it's now a monopoly, but Keane mentioned that Lime had to meet certain terms that the city set.
"We've got a rate that's locked in during the period of this contact for anybody, but then we also have provisions within the contact that provides reductions in the rates for low-income people, and even in specific neighborhoods in the city, you get a 50% reduction if your trip begins there," Keane said.
That rate is $1 to unlock, and $0.36 per minute. Low-income residents who qualify for Lime Access will receive 70% off all rides. Those leaving from Borah, Central Bench, West Boise, West Branch, Liberty Park and Vista neighborhoods will receive a 50% discount.
There's also plans to provide discounts to those who end their rides next to Valley Regional Transit stops, Keane noted, with the hope of better connectivity between the city's public transit options.
These agreements are locked in for Boise's entire contract with Lime. Lime will pay the city $100,000 for the first year, with the option to renew for up to 4 more years, according to Keane.
Lime and Boise have also partnered to bring Lime Assist to the city. The service is essentially a free-to-use "motorized wheelchair" available to community members with disabilities. Rides can be deserved at no cost.
Keane also noted that the city and Lime are working together to create separate parking areas for the scooters and bikes, to prevent clutter obstructing walking paths and parking lots.
He also added that there will be several community events over the coming weeks and months to focus on safety for riders, to prevent serious accidents involving e-scooters and e-bikes.
As a reminder, e-scooters and e-bikes can be used in Boise on streets, sidewalks, in bike lanes, in crosswalks, and on the Greenbelt.
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