PHOENIX — As gas prices climb, commuters continue to look for other ways to get from one destination to the next and that could get a bit easier with the return of Lime e-scooters to downtown Phoenix.
Lime was initially introduced in 2019, as part of the city's pilot program. When the pandemic hit, the company decided to pull the scooters due to operational and financial challenges.
"We're so excited to be back in Phoenix, we have brought our best and newest hardware, that's our industry-leading GEN-4 E-scooter," Communications Lead for Lime Jacob Tugendrjach said. "We've seen great ridership across the country as gas prices have risen and we think we're going to see that in Phoenix, especially with our new e-scooters which we think people are really going to love," he explained.
The return comes with a new app feature, "Lime Access," which provides discounted rides to those who qualify.
"Anyone who receives federal, state or city subsidies will be eligible to ride at significantly discounted prices and we're really proud of that," Tugendrjach said.
Regardless of your rider status, there are "do's and don’ts" when it comes to the e-scooters, City of Phoenix spokesperson Anthony Rios-Gurrola said.
"Riding in the street or bike lane if there is one, that's really important for visibility when it comes to drivers and cars," Rios-Gurrola said. "We also encouraged but it's not required at this time for helmet use, also riders using both hands for stability and making sure there's only one person riding."
While the scooters can sustain rider wear and tear, users should never abandon the e-scooters but rather park them in designated areas. That will also help riders avoid any additional charges.
"We tend to call them corrals actually, there's about 350 in the downtown area, so just to avoid any sidewalk clutter or avoid any tripping hazards, that's required really to so there's access for pedestrians," Rios-Gurrola said.
Lime dropped off 75 e-scooters in the city on Tuesday and has plans to introduce over 200 more soon, Tugendrjach said.
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