Lime returned to the streets of Bothell on June 17, providing affordable, safe and sustainable options as the city reopens. The return of scooters coincides with the opening of one block of Main Street to pedestrians and active transportation. The street use change and scooter return will all help businesses recover from the impacts of COVID. Scooters were approved unanimously by the Bothell City Council last week as a way to help residents get around safely while remaining socially distant.
Lime has served Bothell since 2017, and launched scooters to serve the Bothell community in Summer 2019. Bothell was the fourth city in Washington to launch scooters and since launch, 6,500 Lime riders have taken over 25,000 trips, replacing nearly 8,000 car trips. Lime plans to launch approximately 100 scooters in the Bothell area over the course of the summer.
Lime is also celebrating steps to provide more room for people in Bothell to help small businesses recover. From June 15 through September 7 of Labor Day weekend, a one block section of Main Street will be closed to traffic, creating more room for people to visit downtown businesses impacted by COVID 19 while practicing social distancing. By providing more space for people, the intent is to help businesses thrive and recover with outdoor seating and a great pedestrian experience. The transition of the space is a best practice to increase customer engagement and business sales.
Meanwhile, data shows that scooters increase visitation to local businesses. In a recent Denver survey, 77% of scooter riders report visiting local businesses more as the result of scooters present in a community. An overwhelming 97% of riders have used scooters to visit a local business. Lime scooters will not be operable in the one block section of Main Street that is closed, but riders can travel to that block and park their scooters in a courteous and orderly way on the sidewalk in the “furniture zone,” which is the part of the sidewalk closest to the curb.
“As Bothell reopens, residents are looking for ways to navigate their ‘new normal.’ As they return to their commutes, run errands, and reconnect with family and friends, they will be rethinking how they will get around. Micromobility will play a key role in helping Bothell reopen safely. We are excited to help people visit the great local businesses Bothell has to offer as our communities seek to recover from COVID. Scooters will help reduce the need for driving and parking, and provide more space for people to enjoy their favorite local businesses with ease.” Jonathan Hopkins, Lime Government Affairs for Pacific Northwest & Canada.
A NOTE FROM LIME ON PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTIONS FOR RIDERS
As part of this relaunch, we’re taking a range of steps to keep our communities safe in markets where we’ve relaunched. While the most recent guidance from the CDC is that "the primary mode of transmission for COVID-19 is through close contact from person-to-person," and that surface transmission is "not thought to be the main way the virus spreads," enhanced our cleaning methods and increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting our scooters. We are cleaning all parts of the scooter that are touched by people and we are only using products recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the Center for Biocide Chemistries list that have been approved by the EPA for use against the coronavirus.
In our offices and warehouses, we are distributing hand sanitizer, masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE). All of our mechanics and operators in the field are required to wear gloves and wash their hands regularly. We’re following the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), federal agencies, and other global health organizations to collect the most up-to-the-minute information to ensure the actions we’re taking are comprehensive and expedient. Based on this information, we will decide to continue, pause, or suspend operations in certain markets.
In addition, Lime will provide in-app reminders of our “THRIVE” health and safety best practices, including:
Take precautions
— inspect the scooter to make sure the wheels, brakes, throttle, lights, and frame are all in good working
condition. For a tutorial please see:
https://safety.li.me/
Hands
— wash your hands or use hand sanitizer which is at least 60% alcohol-based when you arrive at your final destination. Wear gloves when you can.
Ride Solo
for safety and social distancing; maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others.
Identify
bike lanes and be aware of traffic lights and signs.
Vigilance
- remain alert of your surroundings and potential road and safety hazards.
Enjoy Responsibly
- be respectful of other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and fellow scooter riders, and always wear a helmet.
LIME MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Hopkins, jonathan.hopkins@li.me, 360-957-5468