2023 Shared E-Scooter Evaluation Report
Shared E-Scooter
Evaluation Report
February 2023
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 2
| Contents
I. Executive Summary
A. Summary of Key Findings
II. Background
B. Policy
C. Micromobility Models
D. Operational characteristics
E. Evaluation Criteria
III. Results and Findings of the Pilot Program
A. Overall Trip Utilization
B. User Demographics and Trip Purpose
C. Mode Shift Analysis
D. Environmental and Material Sustainability: Greenhouse Gas Savings and E-scooter
Lifespan
E. Safety Analysis:
I. Equipment
II. Technology
III. Reported Crashes
IV. Travel Preferences
V. Parking Considerations
F. Safety Education Outreach
G. Addressing Racial Equity
H. Parks and Transportation Maintenance
VII. Proposed Next Steps
VIII. Appendix
A. East Boulder Pilot Program Service Area
B. City of Boulder Questionnaire Results
C. Lime Questionnaire Results
D. Lime Global Utilization Survey
E. Utilization Analysis (Sub-Areas)
I. University of Colorado Boulder (East Campus, Williams Village)
II. Employment Centers (Flatirons Business Park and East Walnut)
III. Gunbarrel
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 3
| E-scooter Evaluation Report
I. Executive Summary
Mobility as a service, or shared micromobility, is a growing industry offering people a fun and
sustainable means of travel through cities for both transportation and recreation purposes.
Today’s shared micromobility programs typically consist of two types of vehicles - electric-assist
bikes (e-bikes) and electric scooters (e-scooters). These vehicles are equipped with electric
motors that make it easier and more convenient to move from origins to desired destinations.
Shared micromobility programs are helping cities across the world by providing a means of
transportation to help offset the impacts of motor vehicles on our transportation system
including the traffic congestion and the reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The
City of Boulder shares this goal as we strive toward providing transportation choices while in an
environmentally responsible manner.
In August 2021, the City of Boulder introduced a new pilot program to test the efficacy of
shared e-scooters for a period of one year in a limited-service area east of 28th street.
Throughout the pilot period, staff and community stakeholders have monitored and worked
together to optimize the program. During the pilot period from August 17, 2021, through
August 31, 2022, users took 115,000 e-scooter trips resulting in 117,700 miles traveled.
This report details the results of the pilot program based on predetermined evaluation criteria
and input gleaned from community members and stakeholders. This report also documents the
efforts undertaken by the city and its e -scooter provider, Lime, to work toward a safe and
successful program. Staff’s evaluation, based on utilization statistics and public input, offers a
range of results and considerations for the future formalization of this component of Boulder’s
Shared Micromobility program. While the e-scooter pilot program has introduced a new form
of mobility and has demonstrated a mode shift from single occupancy vehicles, as well as a
reduction of greenhouse gases, the program has also encountered challenges dealing primarily
with the parking or storage of the devices within the pilot area and the impact on sidewalk and
multi-use path users, particularly those with disabilities.
This report explores several aspects of the program including overall utilization, user
demographics and behavior, safety, sustainability, racial equity, and parking. It documents what
is working well and what areas need improvement as the program moves into the formalization
phase in the spring of 2023. In January 2023, City Council supported transitioning from the
pilot phase to a city-wide program.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 4
Summary of Key Findings
The summary of key findings follows the order of the evaluation criteria as described in the
evaluation report.
Utilization
• E-scooter utilization is prevalent throughout the entire pilot program area. The 30th
Street corridor sees the highest volume of shared e-scooter travel representing an
average of 25 daily trips along the corridor over the course of the pilot program period.
• Trip start data indicates high e-scooter activity in four distinct areas of East Boulder:
o Northeast Boulder- comprises high density residential neighborhoods, including
five traditionally undeserved communities.
o Central Boulder – 29th Street Mall shopping center (most common destination of
all zones)
o CU Boulder’s East Campus (experiences frequent travel between East Campus
and Williams Village)
o CU Boulder’s Williams Village (experiences frequent travel between Williams
Village and edge of Main Campus along the east pilot boundary of 28th Street)
• By the numbers:
Measures – August 2021—August 2022 Lime E-Scooters
Number of trips 115,000
Total distance traveled (miles) 117,700
Average trips per device per day 1.5
Average trip duration (minutes) 11
Average trip distance (miles) 1
Approximate greenhouse gas savings (pounds) 26,058
Number of reported severe crashes 4
User Demographic and Trip Purpose
• Lime has registered 40,000 unique users in the City of Boulder market.
• 88% of Lime’s customers live, work, or go to school in the City of Boulder
• 85% of trips originated in the city right-of-way. The remaining 15% originated on a CU
Boulder property.
• 61% of Lime’s customers live in households earning less than the median income level.
• The average age of their customer is 31 years old and 25% of Lime riders are 36 or older.
• 37% of people use e-scooters for fun and recreation.
• 34% of people use e-scooters for shopping and running errands.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 5
Mode Shift Analysis
• Nearly half (47%) of the respondents to the city’s questionnaire reported that they would
have taken a car if an e-scooter wasn’t available for their trip.
o Nearly 30% would have walked.
o 13% would have biked.
o 3.5% would have taken the bus.
Environmental and Material Sustainability: Greenhouse Gas Savings and E-scooter Lifespan
• 26,058 pounds of CO2 were saved within the span of the pilot program timeframe. This is
equivalent to consuming 1,330 gallons of gasoline or the carbon sequestration rate of 13
acres of U.S. forests in one year.
• It is estimated e-scooters have a lifespan of five years.
• 13 out of 300 e-scooter were decommissioned and recycled during the pilot program
timeframe due to vandalism beyond repair or the e-scooter was submerged in water for a
long period.
• Lime’s e-scooters are 96% recyclable.
• The Life Cycle Assessment of Lime’s e-scooter found an estimated greenhouse gas impact of
46.5grams of CO2 emissions (seven times less than a typical motor vehicle).
Safety: Equipment, Technology, Reported Crashes, Travel Preferences, Parking Considerations
• The durability of e-scooters has improved greatly over the past three years, including thicker
steer tubes, larger wheel diameter, longer wheelbase, front and rear brakes, and front
suspension.
• New user safety programs through the mobile app have been developed to improve safety, for
example, “Training Ride” and a sobriety test.
• Boulder’s crash rate is .01% and a total of 17 share e-scooter crashes were reported to the
city and/or Lime during the pilot program.
o Four moderate to severe injury crashes were reported in which the victim was
transported to the hospital via ambulance. Two of those crashes occurred in the city
right-of-way, the other two crashes occurred on CU Boulder property. One of the
crashes involved a motor vehicle.
o The remaining 13 crashes were reported with minor injuries to the victims..
• 147 out of 343 respondents to the city’s questionnaire reported a preference to travel on
sidewalks due to feeling unsafe in the street or in conventional bike lanes due to motor
vehicle speeds and volume.
• Improperly parked or fallen shared e-scooters present a significant mobility issue for people
with disabilities.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 6
• Mandatory, designated shared e-scooter parking has been proven to mitigate many issues
associated with blocking sidewalks and multi-use paths where this has been implemented
during the pilot on CU Boulder property.
Safety Education Outreach
• The Shared Micromobility Program webpage offers information on the program and
methods for community members to report issues directly to staff and to the shared
micromobility vendors, including vendor and staff contacts and a link to the city’s Inquire
Boulder reporting platform. Outreach through City of Boulder social media is frequently
conducted to provide information pertaining to parking the devices responsibly, customer
safety, including the use of helmets.
Addressing Racial Equity
• Community members living in or near traditionally underserved communities have access to
shared e-scooters due to requirements set forth in Lime’s operating agreement.
• 15% of the total fleet must be allocated to these locations at all times.
• 9, 370 trips originated in the racial equity area, which generated over 12,180 e-scooter
miles traveled.
• Lime’s affordability program (Lime Access) has experienced low participation.
Transportation and Parks Maintenance Impacts
• Transportation Maintenance staff have occasionally needed to remove individual e-scooters
from right-of-way to perform their duties, such as, to remove snow from sidewalks and/or
multi-use paths.
• No negative impacts to Parks and Recreation Department maintenance practices have been
reported.
City Council Support
• On January 5, 2023, staff presented the findings of the E-Scooter Pilot Program that are
provided in this report.
• City Council stated their support for expanding the e-scooter program city-wide and to use
the available geo-fencing technology to manage e-scooter use and parking.
• Staff is currently working with Lime on a proposal for city-wide deployment.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 7
II. Background
The City of Boulder’s Shared Micromobility program was developed following the direction of
City Council on September 15, 2020. City Council adopted Ordinance 8423, allowing the
operation and regulation of shared electric scooters, but excluding use on open space land.
Council requested that a dockless shared e-scooter program be restricted to East Boulder (east
of 28th Street) for the first year of operations to evaluate the efficacy of the program and to
ensure it was a good fit for Boulder before expanding city-wide. (Appendix A)
The shared e-scooter ordinance (Title 4- Chapter 34) is included in the Boulder Revised Code
(BRC) and provides the general requirements for e-scooter operations, such as, licensing and
fees, operator responsibilities, e-scooter standards, and the
parking of e-scooters.
At the October 27, 2020 City Council Study Session, staff
presented the initial structure of a new shared micromobility
program, including a recommendation to proceed with a
Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select a vendor(s) to
provide shared micromobility services for the Boulder
community. The November 17 Study Session Summary
summarizes the subsequent steps taken to form a group of
community stakeholders to developed a scope of work and
conduct a competitive search through a request for proposal
(RFP) process to select a vendor(s) to provide both shared e-
bike and e-scooter services for the Boulder community.
Community stakeholder organizations were convened to
develop the RFP scope of work includ ing, members of the
Transportation Advisory Board, CU Boulder, Boulder County,
Boulder Chamber, Community Cycles, Shared Paths Boulder,
Boulder Housing Partners, Boulder County’s Mobility for All program, Boulder Transportation
Connections and Commuting Solutions.
As part of the development of the RFP, a specific goal and several objectives were identified for
the city’s Shared Micromobility Program to help guide the program and track progress.
The City of Boulder’s goal for the Shared Micromobility Program is to:
Provide community members safe, equitable and sustainable forms of transportation to
improve quality of life, provide connections to transit and key destinations; and replace motor
vehicle trips to reduce traffic congestion and transportation-related greenhouse gas
emissions.
Figure 1- Deployed e-scooters on 30th Street
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 8
To work toward achieving this goal, the following objectives and corresponding performance
measures were identified:
SMP Objectives Baseline 2023 Performance
Measure
1) Build upon the success of
Boulder’s previous bike share
program
2020 – 110,000 trips
440,000 trips
2) Expand the quantity of available
shared e-bikes and e-scooters by
2023
2020 – 300 bikes
500-700 devices (e-bikes and
e-scooters) in service
3) Demonstrates on-going safety
improvements for users of shared
devices
Establish baseline number of
severe crash reports in
2021-2022
Compare number of severe
crashes in 2023 to 2022 – 0
is the goal.
4) Provides an equitable program
that is easily accessible and
affordable for traditionally
underserved community members.
Establish baseline use in
2021-2022
Compare use in 2023 to
2022
5) Expand city-wide accessibility to
shared micromobility devices
2020 – 45 B-Cycle docking
stations
Compare 2023 accessibility
(areas of Boulder served) to
2020
As a result of the RFP process, Neutron Holdings, Inc. DBA Lime was selected, and a service
agreement comprised of the RFP scope of work and requirements contained within the shared
e-scooter ordinance was signed between the City of Boulder and Lime in August 2021. The
agreement can be renewed annually for four subsequent years following the first year of
operations. CU Boulder established a separate operating agreement with Lime around the same
time.
Lime is a transportation company based in San Francisco, California. It runs electric scooters,
electric bikes, normal pedal bikes, electric mopeds, and car sharing systems in various cities
around the world.
The pilot program was initiated August 17, 2021, and an initial 200 shared e-scooters were
deployed in a limited-service area east of 28th Street. The service area map can be found in
appendix A.
Operator License and Fees
The initial fee for a vendor’s license is $3,300 and $1,800 annually thereafter. The vendor also
pays a $0.15 per trip fee. Funds generated are used by the city to support the program, such
as, expenses related to administrative needs, safety signing and striping, equity programs,
safety education outreach, and micromobility-related infrastructure. During the pilot period
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 9
timeframe (August 17, 2021 – August 31, 2022), $20,550 in fees have been assessed by the
City of Boulder.
Differentiating “Docked” and “Dockless”
There are two primary types of shared micromobility operating systems: Docked and dockless.
The docked system, which utilizes “docking stations,” consists of devices that can be borrowed
or rented from an automated docking station using a
smartphone app or RFID card and can be returned only to
another docking station belonging to the same system.
The dockless system does not require a docking station.
With dockless systems, devices are free-floating and can be
parked anywhere within a defined service area. Dockless
devices are typically located and unlocked using a
smartphone app and do not require a kiosk to rent the
device.
In Boulder, B-Cycle is an example of a docked system
(figure 2) and Lime e-scooters is an example of a dockless
system (figure 3). Both docked and dockless systems present
benefits and tradeoffs; however, both systems work best in areas with a high density of people
and with a high density of available devices or stations offering the respective devices:
• Docked system:
o Benefits - Provides predictability in terms of where devices can be rented and
returned. Docked systems are organized and are not as susceptible to devices
being knocked over, nor do docked devices block the public right-of-way.
o Tradeoffs – Does not provide point to point transportation. An initial trip must
be planned to retrieve the docked
device, and occasionally, there
may be no available docks at a
station to return the device
leaving the customer to find an
alternative docking station and
further from their destination .
Point to point transportation is
not as convenient.
• Dockless system:
o Benefits: Allows the customer to
locate and rent a device nearest
their location. Provides customer
the convenience to ride the Figure 3 – Lime E-scooters Deployed at the 29th Street Mall
Figure 2 – Boulder BCycle Docking Station
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 10
device to their precise destination and park virtually anywhere.
o Tradeoffs: Devices are sometimes parked in a manner which blocks the public
right-of-way and can impede the passage of pedestrians, cyclists, and people
with disabilities.
A dockless system can incorporate a hybrid
approach and include specific geofenced zones, or
corrals, where devices must be parked within a
specific designated area. In this case, the devices
may still be susceptible to being knocked over or
moved by a third party unless the device is
physically tethered to a fixed object (figure 4).
Shared micromobility services typically consist of a
mobile app that allows riders to locate, unlock, and
pay for a vehicle. Operations include deployment of
devices to specific locations daily within the
service area, charging of device batteries, and
routine maintenance inspection to ensure it is mechanically sound. These operational aspects
are carried out by the vendor and its company employees, which is how Lime operates in
Boulder.
To utilize a shared e-scooter, Lime users are required to play a flat fee ($1.00) to unlock the
device and an additional pay-per-minute charge ($0.29 per minute) is incurred while the device
is in operation. The trip is officially ended by the user using the mobile app.
Geofencing
Geofencing is an implemented means of regulating where and at what speed shared e-scooters
can travel in Boulder. Geofence technology can be described as a “a virtual geographic
boundary,” defined by Global Position System (GPS)
technology. GPS technology enables software to trigger a
response when an e-scooter enters or leaves a particular
area.
The geographic boundary for the shared e-scooter pilot
program is in East Boulder east of 28th Street, south of Jay
Road and north of South Boulder Road (figure 5). Smaller
boundaries within the larger service area can be created to
restrict e-scooter access.
Geofencing can also control where a shared e-scooter can be
parked by applying mandatory, designated parking areas or
zones. All shared e-scooters operating in Boulder are
equipped with a speed governor that ensures the device will
not travel more than 15 mph. The speed of a device can also
Figure 4 – Example of a Lime designated parking area
Figure 5 – Geofenced East Boulder Pilot Program Area
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 11
be programmed at reduced speeds at specified areas, such as, areas with high pedestrian
volume.
Demand-Based Cap
A demand-based cap is a fleet control formula that governs how many shared e-scooters are
deployed in the service area. This function is included in Lime’s operating agreement and helps
to control the appropriate number of devices in the Boulder market. The City of Boulder seeks a
utilization rate of two trips per day per device. If this rate can be achieved consistently for two
weeks, Lime may increase
its e-scooter fleet size by
20%. If this rate is not
achieved in four weeks
following the increase,
Lime must retract 10% of
its e-scooters. Since the
initial deployment of 200 e-
scooters, Lime has
increased the fleet twice
and now operates a total of
300 e-scooters in Boulder.
This formula does not
factor utilization in Boulder’s equity-
focused zones (figure 6). Nationally,
shared e-scooter utilization has been disproportionately low in known equity-focused areas
despite the offering of affordability programs. If areas with lower utilization rates were included
in the overall demand-based cap, this could have a significant impact on the larger program
resulting inadequate supply of e -scooters to meet demand in the more active utilization areas.
Lime is required to consistently deploy a minimum of 15% of its fleet to serve traditionally
underserved neighborhoods in the pilot service area. Boulder’s equity-focused zones,
neighborhood boundaries, affordability program, and utilization rates are further discussed
later in this report.
Deployment Zones
Over 40 deployment zones are identified in the pilot service areas. These zones were
coordinated with city staff to ensure shared e-scooter access was available at strategic locations
with higher levels of activity and user potential. These locations include several neighborhoods,
transit stops , parks, CU Boulder, city facilities, and shopping centers.
Evaluation criteria
Prior to the start of the e-scooter pilot program, several evaluation criteria were selected to
study the program. The criteria were identified to track use patterns, demographics, safety,
sustainability, and community input:
Figure 6 – Racial Equity Zone in Pilot Program Area
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 12
Utilization
Overall shared e-scooter utilization is tracked through a software program called Ride Report
that displays aggregated data. This third -party platform enables staff to manage the program
remotely and determine in real time, and at selected timeframe, wh at routes e-scooters are
traveling, where trips are starting and ending, and how many e-scooters are available in the
Boulder market.
Ride Report also created an open data portal for
the public viewing of Boulder’s data, as well as
the micromobility data from other cities to draw
comparisons. The open data portal is updated on
a quarterly basis.
As previously mentioned, all shared e-scooters are equipped with a GPS device, which sends
each e-scooter’s location information to a cloud server at regular intervals. Through a software
program called Mobility Data Specification (MDS), aggregate data is converted to a format that
allows both Lime and City of Boulder staff to manage the program and routinely monitor the
activity of all e-scooters in the East Boulder service area. Specifically, the Ride Report program
helps staff track the utilization statistics overall and in specified locations. This data can also be
tracked in real time, or in specified timeframes.
User Demographics and Trip Purpose
This criterion focuses on who uses shared e-scooters (age, gender, and income level) and for
what reasons people choose to use shared e-scooters.
Mode Shift Analysis
Understanding how the use of shared e-scooters shift people’s transportation modes is of great
interest, particularly shifted motor vehicle and active transportation trips, as this illuminates
how e-scooter trips contribute to Boulder’s climate and mobility goals through reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmental and Material Sustainability: Greenhouse Gas Savings & Lifespan
As the City of Boulder strives to reduce single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips, it’s important to
understand whether shared e-scooters are contributing to a reduction of SOV trips and
ultimately the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The lifespan of a shared e-scooter is also
a sustainability consideration.
Safety
User safety is an important metric for the program. Safety criteria considered in this evaluation
include:
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 13
o Equipment – Examines materials and fabrication affecting the durability of e-scooter
design and impacts to user safety.
o Technology – Examines technology to improve travel safety either through geofencing
technology or interface with mobile application.
o Reported Crashes – Examines the number of and types of e-scooter crashes that
occurred during the pilot program.
o Travel Preferences – Explores e-scooters user’s facility preferences and impact to theirs
and others safety.
o Parking Considerations – Explores the impacts of e-scooter parking behaviors and
impact on other sidewalk and multi-use path users.
Community Member and Stakeholder Input
Staff have garnered input from community members through a city-wide questionnaire (over
1000 responses), Inquire Boulder reports, and e-mail and phone correspondence. Lime has also
administered a customer questionnaire (175 responses) and reported its findings to city staff
(Appendices B & C). Over October and November 2022, staff has presented the preliminary
findings and outcomes of the evaluation process to community stakeholders including the
following organizations:
• Downtown Boulder Partnership
• Downtown Management Commission
• University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission
• Boulder Junction Access District
• Center for People with Disabilities
• CU Boulder – Pathway Safety Committee
• Boulder Chamber
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Transportation Advisory Board (November)
• City Council (December)
Community feedback has been interwoven into the report and its findings are reflective of
public sentiment and utilization statistics.
Safety Education and Communications Outreach
How have the City of Boulder and community partners provided shared e-scooter safety
education outreach?
Addressing Racial Equity
How has the shared e-scooter program impacted traditionally underserved neighborhoods and
what is the efficacy of Lime’s affordability program?
Transportation and Parks Maintenance Impacts
How have the shared e-scooter program’s deployment zones and parked devices affected Parks
and Transportation Maintenance efforts?
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 14
III. Results and Findings of E-scooter Pilot
A. Overall Trip Utilization
The geographic boundary for the shared e-scooter pilot program is in East Boulder east of 28th
Street, south of Jay Road and north of South Boulder Road. Over the course of the pilot
program, shared e-scooters have been ridden on nearly every street and multi-use path in the
service area.
Figure 7 shows the number of trips taken over the pilot study period. These utilization rates are
considerably lower during the colder, winter months and higher use is commensurate with
nicer weather and CU’s Boulder’s semester school schedule.
Utilization begins to grow in March, plateaus in summer and spikes again when CU Boulder
students return to Boulder.
By the numbers
As shown in Figure 8, since the beginning of the program, over 115,000 shared e-scooter trips
have been logged resulting in 117,700 miles traveled.
Shared e-scooters are used for relatively short trips in Boulder and average one mile per trip
per day. Shared e-scooter use in Boulder is consistent with national data.
Utilization rates are relatively high and on the average of 1.5 trips per device per day across the
year. Although e-scooters are used throughout the entire week, e-scooter riders are most
active during the weekends.
Figure 7 - Lime E-scooter Utilization Rates (August 2021-August 2022)
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 15
The weekend spike may reflect
different trip purposes that occur on
weekends versus weekdays, such as
recreational and shopping trips.
Shared e-scooter activity is highest
between the hours of 12:00 p.m. – 8:00
p.m.
Shared e-scooters travel through much
of the East Boulder service area,
particularly along several key arterial
street and off-street connections. 30th
Street has surfaced as the corridor with
the highest concentration of daily trips followed by Valmont and Baseline Roads. The Boulder
Creek, Goose Creek, and Skunk Creek paths multi-use paths are also heavily utilized.
Much of the activity is centered on
four distinct zones:
o Northeast Boulder (high
density housing and
traditionally undeserved
neighborhoods)
o Central Boulder (29th Street
Mall, Boulder Junction)
o CU Boulder’s East Boulder
Campus
o CU Boulder’s Williams Village
area
Most trips take place within these
zones but there is also considerable
travel between these zones. The
29th Street Mall is a common
destination, and travel between CU
Boulder’s campuses is frequent. The
heat maps in figures 10 and 11
provide a visual representation of
routes most traveled, and the origin
of trip starts in the East Boulder pilot
area.
Figure 8 – Completed Trips by Month
Figure 9 – Utilization - By the Numbers
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 16
Figure 10 – Traversed Routes Heat Map
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 17
Figure 11 – Trip Starts Heat Map & Key Act
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 18
B. E-scooter User Demographics and Use
Since the start of the pilot program Lime has registered over 40,000 unique users (Figure 12).
People use shared e-scooters for a variety of means, whether it be for fun and recreation, to go
to work and school, connect with transit
or to run errands. Approximately 85% of
total shared e-scooter trips originated in
the City of Boulder right-of-way and the
remaining 15% of total trips originated
on a CU Boulder property, such as East
Campus or Williams Village.
Information gleaned from two separate
user questionnaires provides insight into
user characteristics, travel patterns and
preferences. The City of Boulder
launched a questionnaire in September
2022 through its Be Heard Boulder
public engagement platform and received
1,022 responses. Lime also distributed a questionnaire to its customers in September 2022 and
collected 175 responses. It’s important to note that neither of the questionnaires are
statistically valid; however, when combined, the information from these two questionnaires
provides a snapshot into user demographics and behaviors.
Based on internal user data, Lime reports that 88% of its customers live, work, or go to school in
the City of Boulder, while 61% of its customers live in households earning less than the median
income level. The average age of their customer is
31 years old and 25% of Lime riders are 36 or older.
This data is consistent with the national trend in
terms of high shared e-scooters use among younger
generations, although is inconsistent in terms of
income level, as more users in Boulder are reporting
their income below the median income level.
National data suggests that users’ income level is at
both ends of the spectrum: below and higher than
the median income level. This could be due to the
relatively high use of the program by college-age
community members.
Early national research suggested that men and
women used e-scooters approximately evenly (4%
and 3% of the general population, respectively) and that women were slightly more likely to
“Lime has over 40,000
registered unique users in
the Boulder market”
Figure 12 – Lime’s Registered Unique User by Month
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 19
have a positive view of e-scooters than men did. However, later surveys consistently found that
men were more likely to ride e-scooters, take more trips, and respond to surveys. City of
Boulder's September 2022 questionnaire did not request the gender identity of e-scooter users
in its demographic questions.
Of the 1,022 responses to the City of Boulder’s questionnaire, 904 of the respondents live in
Boulder, 536 respondents also work in Boulder and 144 respondents attend school in Boulder.
343 of the respondents reported using a shared e-scooter in Boulder. When asked for what
purpose they used an e-scooter, the following response by percentage were listed:
• 37% for fun and recreation
• 34% for shopping and running errands.
• 11.4% to get to work.
• 10.6% to get to college campus.
• 7% to connect with public transit.
Lime’s questionnaire shows somewhat similar
results. Its customers reported the following trip
purposes (Figure 13):
• 30% to get to work or school.
• 20% for shopping and running errands.
• 23% to connect with public transit.
• 16% to attend a social event, to dining or
for entertainment.
The City of Boulder asked respondents where they
choose to ride a shared e-scooter, and the
following locations were reported. The
respondents were given the opportunity to check all that apply:
• In a bike lane (206 respondents)
• On a residential or local street (163 respondents)
• On sidewalks (147 respondents)
• On multi-use paths (196 respondents)
C. Mode Shift Analysis
From a transportation planning perspective, understanding mode shift is an important aspect.
The city’s Transportation Master Plan sets mode share goals and identifies actions to reach its
goals.
One of the city’s mode share goals is to reduce car dependency by reducing SOV trips both
within the city and from a regional perspective, to and from the city. This means shifting trips
from 50% of resident trips taken by motor vehicle to 20% by 2030; and reducing non-resident
Figure 13 – Renting an E-scooter at King Soopers on 30th Street
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 20
motor vehicle trips from 85% to 60% by 2030. To accomplish this goal, the city must increase
sustainable transportation trips by 80% by 2030, which includes, walking, biking e-
micromobility, transit and carpool. These goals roll up to the City of Boulder’s overall climate
goals of carbon neutrality by 2035.
The implementation of the city’s Shared Micromobility Program is one of the action items the
city takes to shift trips from motor vehicles to other forms of transportation that have a lesser
impact on traffic congestion and the environment. It is believed that shared e-scooters as part
of the city’s Shared Micromobility Program (both shared e-bikes and e-scooters combined) may
be instrumental in significantly contributing to a shift from the dependence of motor vehicles.
To better understand this potential impact, we ask the question, “if a shared e-scooter wasn’t
available, how would have someone made their trip instead?” The results of both the City of
Boulder and Lime questionnaires demonstrate people’s mode shift away from motor vehicles
and on to shared e-scooters.
Lime reports that 26% of its customers used a shared e-scooter rather than a motor vehicle
(personally owned, taxi, or ride hailing service). 75% of its customers also reported that shared
micromobility decreased their reliance on cars and 71% felt that micromobility reduced traffic.
The City of Boulder’s questionnaire shows similar results when asked if an e-scooter wasn’t
available, how they would have made their
trip. Responses included:
• 34.8% would have driven a car
• 29.5% would have walked
• 12.9% would have ridden a bicycle
• 12.3% would have used ride hailing
• 7% wouldn’t have taken the trip
• 3.5% would have taken the bus
This data suggests that nearly half (47.1%) of
respondents would have taken a motor vehicle
(private or ride hail) if an e-scooter wasn’t
available.
The data also suggests, however, that shared e-
scooter use is also impacting forms of active
transportation, like walking, biking, and taking the bus. Approximately 46% of active travel trips
may have shifted to shared e-scooter. Still, e-scooter trips may also facilitate first- and last-mile
connections with transit trips, a level of analysis that was not sought in the city’s questionnaire.
Staff recognizes the health and environmental benefits of active travel, and that e-scooters may
compete with other forms of environmentally responsible forms of transportation. That said,
“Nearly half of
respondents would have
taken a motor vehicle
(private or ride hail) if an
e-scooter wasn’t
available”
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 21
people desire transportation choices and with choices comes an overall increase in the use of
these sustainable transportation options.
Compared to other cities in North America, Boulder’s responses to both questionnaires are
similar in terms of mode shift. As shown in Figure 14, cities with shared e-scooter programs
estimate that anywhere from a third to a half of e-scooter trips replace car trips, and over half
replace trips made by other low carbon modes.
Figure 14 – City Comparison of Replaced Vehicle and Active Mode Trips – Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation 2020
D. Environmental and Material Sustainability: Greenhouse Gas Savings and E-scooter
Lifespan
To determine a shared e-scooter’s effect of mode shift from motor vehicles and resulting
greenhouse gas savings, Lime has taken a more conservative approach and estimates that 25%
of motor vehicle trips are displaced by shared e-scooters.
In 2019, Lime conducted a statistically
significant global mode shift survey to
understand their customer’s travel patterns,
particularly their “shift” away from other
modes to Lime’s fleet of shared e-scooters
and bicycles (Appendix D). From that survey
data, Fehr & Peers, transportation consulting
firm, wrote a report characterizing the mode
shift of Lime customers (globally), and the
implications for greenhouse gas emissions, air
quality, traffic congestion, and car parking
demand.: Lime Global Utilization Survey
summarizes these findings.
In the study, they used stratified random sampling, by market and by rider segment (1 ride vs 2
rides vs 3 or more rides in the last 30 days). They aimed for a sample size of 400 respondents in
Figure 15 – Estimated Car Trips Replaced by Lime E-scooter in
Boulder
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 22
each market, but in some small markets this was infeasible and in other instances the rider
response rate was lower than anticipated. Overall, Lime received responses from over 18,000
riders, providing information for over 36,000 rides.
Lime’s survey resulted in the estimation that 25% of Lime e-scooter trips displaced motor
vehicle trips (privately owned or ride hail services). Assuming this 25% mode shift reported by
Lime (figure 15), and applying the City of Boulder's methodology for calculating greenhouse gas
saving
During the pilot period, shared e-scooters generated
115,000 trips and 117,000 miles traveled. If 25% of
those trips displace vehicle trips, then 28,750 vehicle
trips were displaced during the pilot period. The
average e-scooter trip length is 1.017 miles. 28,750
vehicle trips equate to 29,250 motor vehicle miles
saved.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
averages 404 grams of Carbon Dioxide emitted per
mile driven in North America.
Hence, 29,250 miles X 404 grams = 11,815,939
million grams or 11.8 metric tons, or 26,058 pounds
of CO2 saved within the span of the pilot program
timeframe.
In terms of material sustainability, Lime claims that the Gen 4 e-scooter model, which
comprises Boulder’s fleet, has a lifespan of five years in terms of normal day-to-day operations.
This lifespan does not factor in deliberate mishandling of, or vandalism to its device. Lime’s
shared e-scooters are designed using modular parts that can be individually replaced which
helps to extend the overall life of each device. The e-scooters are 96% recyclable and Lime
claims a nearly 100% landfill diversion.
Between August 17, 2021, and August 31, 2022 (pilot program period), Lime recorded 13 total
decommissioned e-scooters in the Boulder market. Most of these decommissioned e-scooters
were collected after being vandalized beyond repair or submerged in water.
The 2021 Life Cycle Assessment of the Lime Gen 4 shared e-scooter found an estimated
greenhouse gas impact of 46.4g of CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer, which is seven
times less than a typical motor vehicle (figure 16). "Anthesis,” a global sustainability
consultancy, conducted the life cycle analysis for the Lime’s Gen 4 device.
“26,058 pounds of CO2
is equivalent to
consuming 1,330
gallons of gasoline”
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 23
The rebalancing of shared e-scooters to ensure access to e-scooters is consistent at identified
deployment zones is another environmental factor to consider. Before the advent of swappable
battery technology, e-scooters were collected by motor
vehicles and brought back to warehouses for recharging.
The batteries in earlier e-scooter models were encased
within the base or frame of each e-scooter and were not
easily accessible.
Lime’s Gen 4 model shared e-scooters are equipped with
swappable batteries (figure 17), which has led to a nearly
70% decrease in vehicle miles traveled. Battery
replacement trips can be accomplished in a more efficient
manner leading to less back and forth for the vehicles.
The rebalancing of e-scooters to specified deployment
locations and to retrieve of abandoned, mis-parked, or idle
e-scooters is still conducted with a motor vehicle. To
address this, Lime claims to be working on the transition to
a zero emissions operations fleet.
It’s important to
note, that both
the recharging of
batteries and
rebalancing of devices is comparable to BCycle’s
current bikeshare operations. The rebalancing of the
shared e-scooters and current use of a motor vehicle
is not factored into greenhouse gas saving
estimation for Boulder.
Figure 16 – Lime’s Life Cycle Analysis of Gen 4 E-scooter
Figure 17 – Lime’s Swappable Battery
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 24
E. Safety Analysis: (Equipment, Technology, Reported Crashes, Travel Preferences &
Parking Considerations)
When shared e-scooters arrived on scene in 2017, there was great concern for user safety. Early
data showed users being injured and killed considerably more often than people using shared
bikes. Between 2018-2019, after just a few years into initial U.S. operations, over 25 people lost
their lives while riding a shared e-scooter. In comparison, four people had been killed in the
previous ten years on shared bike operations.
In 2018, several shared e-scooter companies expressed interest in operating in Boulder. At the
time, e-scooters, both shared and privately owned, were illegal to operate on city streets,
sidewalks, and multi-use paths. Characterized as “disruptive technology,” the City of Boulder
sought to avoid the illegal deployment of e-scooters in the public right-of-way, which was
occurring in numerous other cities throughout the U.S., including the City of Denver. This
business practice on the part of shard e-scooter companies (deployment without permission or
city partnership) caught many cities off guard and set off a chain reaction of cities developing
regulations reactively, instead of proactively.
The City of Boulder avoided this problem by alerting the business license office to flag
companies seeking a business license to “rent out” e-scooters within the city limits. The City of
Boulder never had to deny a business license. Instead, the City of Boulder asked the companies
how they would comply with local laws, considering they were illegal to operate at the time, if
invited to partner with the city and be allowed to operate. Companies did not respond to staff’s
requests for more information and without a license to operate, it was an effective tool that
restrained companies from illegally deploying shared e-scooters due to the significant daily fine
associated with operating a business without a license.
Concerned primarily with creating a safe program for community members, the City of Boulder
took deliberate steps to develop a regulatory framework and conduct community engagement
on the matter before allowing providers to operate.
While taking the necessary time to prepare for potential shared e-scooter operations, the
shared micromobility industry also evolved itself, particularly in the realm of e-scooter
equipment, governing technology, and user familiarity.
Durability
It was the “durability” of early shared e-scooter model that first came under question. Most of
the vehicles were not equipped with front and rear brakes, nor lights. Wires were exposed and
the severing or breaking of the steer tube was commonplace. The wheels were small in
diameter and could not safely handle street abnormalities nor variable terrain.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 25
The overall wheelbase was short,
and the device was very low to the
ground, which lessened the device’s
stability making it more susceptible
to mishaps.
In the beginning, these devices were
designed more as “toys,” rather
than sturdy, transportation devices.
The average lifespan of a shared e-
scooters was thirty days in a market
and the poor design and fabrication
of the devices were leading to
numerous crashes and injured users
across North American cities.
Since then, the durability of the
device has been greatly improved. Most devices are more robust and are fabricated using
higher quality materials. E-scooters now come equipped with a thicker steer tube, front and
rear brakes and lights, and the wheel size has increased considerably in diameter from 4 inches
to 9 inches. With the addition of both pneumatic and fork suspension, the devices hold up
better and are easier to handle when negotiating city transportation infrastructure. The e-
scooters deployed by Lime in the City of Boulder reflect these advancements (figure 18).
Technology
The technology governing the device, including the mobile application, has also evolved with
the goal of improving safety. An operational consideration for Boulder’s program was to control
device speed at a maximum of 15mph, the same maximum speed as BCycle’s e-bike. To help
prevent first time crashes, or at least, lessen the severity of injury if a crash occurs for new
users , staff requested that Lime put in place a new safety program, called “Training Ride,”
which automatically limits the device speed to 8 mph for a customer’s first ride on a shared e-
scooter.
Lime provides other mobile application safety features. Its safety quiz (figure 19) requires riders
to successfully answer a series of questions before they can operate a vehicle. The questions
test riders on their knowledge of the basic principles and requirements of safely operating a
Lime vehicle. These requirements are based on requirements set forth in the City of Boulder
shared e-scooter ordinance.
Lime can also verify a user’s identity, their age, and the validity of their driver’s license to avoid
use of the Lime platform by unauthorized persons. Lime’s ID scan technology is designed by
Microblink and certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It operates with
Figure 18 – Lime’s Gen 4 E-scooter Specifications
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 26
a 90% first-time success rate, a <1% false rejection rate, and has no demographic bias within
facial recognition and matching. The age requirement to ride a Lime shared e-scooter is 18
years of age.
To prevent individuals from using Lime vehicles when
under the influence of alcohol, Lime has implemented
a sobriety test, administered during late evening
hours, that requires riders to complete a series of tests
to determine if they can safely operate an e-scooter.
Lime users who fail the test 3 times are blocked from
operating a vehicle for at least two hours. This feature
helps to ensure safety for riders and pedestrians.
Reported Crashes
Since the inception of the program, the City of Boulder
and the University of Colorado Boulder has
experienced a total of four shared e-scooter crashes
resulting in moderate to severe injury.
Two of those crashes occurred on CU’s campus and
two of those in City of Boulder right-of-way. In all four
cases, the victim was transported to the hospital.
Out of the four crashes, one of the crashes included a
motor vehicle. The e-scooter rider was suspected of
operating the device while under the influence and the
driver was not issued a citation. The other three
crashes occurred on a sidewalk, or other off-street
facility.
In addition to the four crashes above, 13 other crashes
were reported to Lime. The injuries in these crashes were considered “minor” and there are no
City of Boulder or CU Boulder police reports to augment understanding of the cases .
Staff recognize that it’s likely that some crashes go unreported. Unfortunately, Boulder
Community Health does not document the causes of injuries by micromobility vehicle type, and
further, does not discern whether injuries occurred while riding a shared or private device.
Figure 19 – Lime’s Safety Quiz
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 27
The table below shows a summary of the crashes in which the victim was transported to a
hospital.
Date Location Nearest Intersection Cause of Crash Injury Type
8/23/2021 CU Campus Discovery Drive &
Colorado Avenue
Lost control of device –
facility not specified
Pain in left
ankle and
knee
9/23/2021 CU Campus Williams Village Lost control of device –
facility not specified
Lacerations to
face, wrist
pain
3/5/2022 City 30th Street &
Valmont Road
Lost control of device on
sidewalk
Severe head
Injury
4/8/2022 City Foothills Parkway &
Colorado Avenue
Entered roadway against
direction of travel and
struck by motor vehicle
Severe head
Injury
From a national perspective, recent research shows that males are more likely to ride e-
scooters than females and that e-scooters are popular among riders under 40 years old. Injury
demographics appear consistent with the ridership data.
Staff relies on police reports and customer reports submitted to Lime to obtain crash data.
Police reports contain officer narratives and witness reports to help staff better understand the
nature of each crash. Boulder’s current reported e-scooter crash rate is .01% and is below initial
national crash rates identified in the first two years of shared e-scooter operations across the
U.S.
There are several
contributing factors that
have helped to keep
crashes relatively low,
including device
durability, improved
technology, previous
user familiarity with shared e-scooter programs, Boulder’s high quality and extensive
transportation infrastructure, safety education outreach, and an overall greater awareness of
drivers in Boulder who watch for vulnerable users, including e-scooter riders. This greater
awareness can be attributed to Dr. Peter Jacobsen’s “safety in numbers” theory that
hypothesizes that vulnerable users are safer in an environment when there are more of them,
which has a result on other road users expecting to see them more frequently. That said, severe
e-scooter crashes have occurred and through the lens of Vision Zero, even one severe crash is
too many. There’s still work to do to help people understand how these devices can be ridden
in a safe manner.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 28
The interaction with motor vehicles continues to be of great concern, as it is for all vulnerable
users, such as pedestrians, people using assistive devices such as wheelchairs, and bicyclists. In
Boulder, vulnerable users are overrepresented in terms of being severely injured in a crash and
thus, this aspect remains paramount in our goal to eliminate crashes that result in severe injury
or death.
Crashes often happen because of human behavior. The speed of a vehicle comes into play in
terms of the severity of an injury when crashes occur; however, the speed of the vehicle can be
controlled by its user. Staff, however, also recognize that transportation facility design can
influence vehicle speed. Following a safe systems approach, staff continues to improve
Boulder’s transportation infrastructure to make micromobility a safe, comfortable, and
attractive form of transportation.
The Core Arterial Network initiative is a recent example of focusing improvements on an
interconnected network of streets to build separated facilities for vulnerable users while
mitigating crashes between all road users. The continued build out of Boulder’s protected
bicycle lane network and pedestrian infrastructure will lead to more people safely using
micromobility, more often and in more places.
Travel Preferences
Understanding where people choose to ride e-scooters is an integral element to analyzing
safety both real and perceived. The City of Boulder asked the question where people typically
ride an e-scooter with the option of providing multiple answers. People reported the following
facilities:
• In the bike lane (206 respondents)
• On residential streets (163 respondents)
• On sidewalks (147 respondents)
• On multi-use path (196 respondents)
While operating an e-scooter in bike lanes, on residential streets and on multi-use paths is legal
per the City of Boulder’s Boulder Revised Code, riding an e-scooter on a sidewalk is illegal,
unless there is not a bike lane in the adjacent roadway. An example of this scenario exists along
Broadway north of Spruce Street.
If respondents selected “sidewalks” as a facility by which they typically travel, the questionnaire
included a follow-up question to understand the reason(s).
Most of the feedback pertains to people not feeling safe in the bike lanes, or on streets due to
motor vehicle traffic. People feel exposed in the street and are concerned about distracted
drivers and being struck by a motor vehicle. Other reasons cited is the convenience factor of
traveling bi-directional on the same side of the street to access destinations and that some
streets did not have safe bike facilities in the adjacent street.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 29
The primary reason for prohibiting e-scooter use on sidewalks is to mitigate potential conflicts
between people walking and using wheelchairs with people riding e-scooters. To date, there
have been no reported crashes between these user groups; however, when asked in the city’s
questionnaire on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the most concern and 1 being the least concern,
337 people reported that people riding e-scooters on the sidewalk are a safety risk to people
walking (figure 20).
From a national research perspective, pedestrian and e-scooter collisions represented just 12%
of e-scooter crashes in San Francisco’s pilot program. In Portland, an even smaller portion
(1.7%) of emergency department visits associated with e-scooters were caused by a collision
with a pedestrian.
This information begs the question of whether the City of Boulder’s sidewalk restrictions are
prudent. Currently, both traditional and electric-assist bikes are allowed to use the sidewalk
unless the sidewalk is a designated dismount zone. In Boulder, the data to date suggests that
riding e-scooters on a sidewalk is more of a perceived safety issue rather than an actual crash
issue. Perceived risk should not be ignored; however, as perceived risk is a deterrent for people
who would normally use sidewalks and multi-use paths, but do not because of safety concerns.
Nationally speaking, sidewalk restrictions for e-scooters differ among cities. Some cities allow
sidewalk riding anywhere “when done in a prudent manner,” some allow it when there is no
separated or protected bike lane and when motor vehicle travel speeds are high, and many
disallow it altogether.
Various mechanisms have been implemented to attempt to reduce illegal sidewalk riding. Many
e-scooter operators, including Lime, are developing GPS technology that detects and alerts
riders on a scooter’s digital display if sidewalk riding is occurring, but the technology is not
currently sensitive enough to reliably distinguish between sidewalk and in-street usage. Overall,
sidewalk riding restrictions have proven difficult to enforce, including in the City of Boulder.
Helmet Use
Early national e-scooter crash data from 2019 revealed that 30% of injuries resulted in head
trauma and that one in three users were likely to crash on their first ride.
Figure 20 – City Questionnaire: Responses to People E-scooting on the Sidewalk – 4 = most concern, 1 = Least Concern
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 30
Helmets can protect e-scooter riders from head injury, but usage is consistently low across
national studies, and anecdotally, in Boulder as well. Lime offers free helmets to its customers
upon request and provides free helmets at safety events. Typically, the lack of advanced
planning for many scooter trips does not allow for helmet use.
To date, two reported crashes have occurred in the city which have resulted in head injuries.
There are currently no regulations in Boulder that require users to wear a helmet; however,
Lime, city and CU Boulder staff encourage it though safety education messaging.
Regulations requiring e-scooter riders to wear a helmet may disincentivize potential trips and
would also be very difficult to enforce.
Parking Considerations
The parking of shared e-scooters has surfaced as a fundamental issue during the pilot program.
The dockless model lends itself to parking problems as the e-scooters can be parked anywhere
unless designated parking areas are mandated within the service area.
The blocking of sidewalks, crosswalk ramps, and multi-use paths is a major concern for many
community members and staff has received numerous complains through Inquire Boulder
reports and was identified as a top concern in the City of Boulder’s questionnaire, as noted in
figure 21.
While no crashes have been reported involving improperly parked e-scooters, they have caused
significant mobility challenges for other sidewalk and multi-use path users. Of particular
concern is the impact to people with mobility and visual disabilities who are in some cases
limited in their ability to safely negotiate around a parked e-scooter or may be unable to
physically move a parked e-scooter to continue along their path of travel. In some cases, people
may be forced to take an alternative route which can be a major inconvenience for people with
disabilities.
Figure 21 – City Questionnaire: Responses to Parked E-Scooters on the Sidewalk – 4 = most concern, 1 = Least Concern
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 31
Improperly parked shared e-scooters create a situation
where people with disabilities, including those in
wheelchairs, or who are low-vision or blind, are being
denied their right to travel freely and safely on public
walkways due to physical barriers (figure 22).
The City of Boulder’s shared e-scooter ordinance contains
provisions prohibiting the parking of shared e-scooters in
such a manner that they impede the path of travel for
other sidewalk and multi-use path users (figure 23);
however, these situations are hard to enforce due to a lack
of enforcement resources, although there is a provision in
the ordinance to assess a fine on both the vendor (Lime)
and the customer responsible for an improperly parked
shared e-scooter.
The ordinance also contains a
provision for the vendor (Lime) to
respond to a report of an
abandoned, damaged, or
improperly parked e-scooter within
two hours between the hours of
6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Improperly parked e-scooters are
reported to both Lime and city staff
and each e-scooter is equipped
with a unique identification number
and a service telephone phone
number for both English and Spanish speakers. Community members have also reported
abandoned e-scooters and being discarded in less-than -ideal locations, for example on people’s
private property, like gardens and driveways. Improperly parked e-scooters can appear as
clutter or abandoned. Unfortunately, e-scooters are sometimes purposefully knocked over or
Figure 23 – E-scooters Parked on Sidewalk at Street Corner in Boulder
Figure 22 – E-scooter Blocking Path Wheelchair User
in Boulder
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 32
thrown into riparian areas, such as irrigation ditches and creeks. These issues are most
prominent when e-scooters are parked in obscure, less frequented areas of the city. Often
these e-scooters end up being the subject of vandalism.
Throughout the pilot program, Lime has demonstrated consistently responsive customer
service to community members and staff representing the City of Boulder and CU Boulder. Lime
usually responds to reported e-scooters under the two-hour requirement and has never left a
reported improperly parked e-scooter sit for longer than two hours.
Lime has consistently followed up with the person or agency who filed the complaint to let
them know the issue has been dealt with, thereby closing the circle of communication. Lime
recognizes the challenges of improperly parked e-scooters and is receptive to adopting parking
protocols that will mitigate these issues. As it currently stands with operating a shared dockless
system, not all improperly parked e-scooters are reported and it’s possible that an abandoned,
vandalized or improperly parked e-scooter may be non-reported for a considerable amount of
time.
CU Boulder has taken a different approach to
managing shared e-scooter parking.
Mandatory, designated parking areas on CU’s
East Boulder campus and at Williams Village
residential halls has successfully mitigated
most of the problems associated with
improperly parked e-scooters. When
implementing a designated parking zone, the
user of the shared e-scooter is unable to end
a ride unless the e-scooter is physically within
a designated parking zone. This is
accomplished through geofencing technology
and is communicated to the user through the
mobile application. The geofenced mandatory
parking zones (figures 25 & 26), otherwise
known as corrals or “Lime Groves,” are also physically demarcated with paint and posts to
make the areas visible to e-scooter users.
Figure 24 – City Questionnaire – E-scooter are sometimes abandoned – 4 = Most Concern, 1 = Least Concern
Figure 25 – Geofenced and Marked Designated E-scooter Parking
Area at CU Boulder
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 33
This City of Boulder and Lime have begun to
experiment with this e-scooter parking approach
in the Park East Square neighborhood. This
neighborhood is located just south of CU
Boulder’s campus and is comprised of many
college age students who use the program daily.
The city and Lime and have installed its first on-
street designated parking zone on Monroe Ct.
(figure 27). Three other designated parking zones
have been established in the neighborhood.
This e-scooter parking approach came at the
request of the Park East Square Homeowner’s
Association, and to date, the results are
encouraging. Dockless mobility has its benefit to
the user in terms of convenience. The user does
not have to find a specific location to park the
device and they may park as close as they’d like
to their destination.
This convenience factor, however, comes with
significant tradeoffs to other people who walk,
ride and roll. Most importantly, it negatively
affects those people with a physical disability
and resulting mobility challenges.
F. Safety Education Outreach
The city did not evaluate the effectiveness of
safety education outreach during the pilot
program; however, the City of Boulder and CU
Boulder took a proactive approach at the start of
the program to provide safety education and e-
scooter program information with the goal of influencing the safe operations of e-scooters.
The City of Boulder published an informative press release and corresponding webpage
providing instructions for how to use the program safely. Over the course of the year, the City
of Boulder and CU Boulder have routinely published additional safety education though its
communication channels and particularly through social media (figure 28). Social media
typically yields a high interaction rate among community members.
Figure 26 – Example of Designated E-scooter Parking Area at CU
Boulder
Figure 27 – New Designated E-scooter Parking Area in City ROW at
Park East Square
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 34
The safety education efforts focused on
four primary topics :
• Wearing a helmet
• Follow all traffic rules
• Always yield to pedestrians
• Use the bell to pass
• Ride predictably and defensively
• Be 18 years or older
• Ride solo and sober
Prior to the start of the city’s Shared
Micromobility Program, the city
conducted a community engagement
process to determine where
micromobility devices should be operated in the public right of way. City council subsequently
adopted modifications to the Boulder Revised Code allowing their use on specific facilities. The
“Which Wheels Go Where?” information materials (figure 29) are consistently broadcasted
through the city communication channels to improve user safety. Lime also provides safety
education to its users through it mobile application and this method may be the most effective
way to reach e-scooter riders. Every month, Lime sends in-app messages to remind riders of the
rules of the road in their city, how to safely operate a Lime vehicle, and how to ensure safety
for pedestrians.
Figure 29 – Which Wheels Go Where? Micromobility Chart
Figure 28 – An Example of City of Boulder E-scooter Safety Messaging Social
Media Graphic
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 35
G. Addressing Racial Equity
Staff and community partners ensured racial equity was considered in the city’s Shared
Micromobility Program at the outset, including during the development of the scope of work
for the Request for Proposals process. The Shared Micromobility Program has the objective to:
“Provide its services in an equitable manner by developing and promoting a program that is
easily accessible and affordable for traditionally underserved community members.”
The City of Boulder and Lime are committed to ensuring residents living within these
opportunity areas have access to shared micromobility. There are five distinct neighborhoods
identified within the pilot program service area, including Orchard Grove, San Juan del Centro,
Vista Village, Parkside Village, and San Lazaro.
Figure 30 – Map of Traditionally Underserved Communities in Pilot Program Area
During the pilot program, 9, 370 trips originated in the racial equity area (figure 31), which
generated over 12,180 e-scooter miles traveled.
Lime offers an affordability program, called Lime Access, for people with lower income
eligibility or who do not have a credit card or a mobile phone to access the devices. To qualify
for Lime Access, a user must be a recipient of any sort of public assistance from any
government entity and must provide proof of this assistance. The cost to riders on Lime Access
is $0.50 to unlock vehicles and then $0.07 per minute after that. This is a 50% discount from
regular pricing. Lime and the City of Boulder continue to promote the Lime Access affordability
program to community members, but participation in the program has been low, likely due to
the requirement of providing documentation.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 36
Per the requirement in the
operating agreement, Lime
has coordinated with staff to
ensure access to shared e-
scooters is available either on
or within proximity to these
traditionally underserved
neighborhoods. I
Most trips starting in this
service area also ended within
the area, as well as the 29th
Street Mall shopping area
between Pearl Street and
Arapahoe Avenue. The average
trip duration was 9.5 minutes, and the average trip length was .95 miles. The average number
of trips per device per day was .8.
H. Transportation and Parks Maintenance
Coordination with Transportation and Parks Maintenance personnel has been on-going
throughout the pilot program. An inclement weather policy was established to proactively
guide the approach to impending weather events and management of parked e-scooters. For
weather events predicted to accumulate more than 4
inches of snow, and dependent upon the forecasted
subsequent days following the event, Lime and city
staff consider whether the fleet of shared e-scooters
should be moved from the city right-of-way so not to
impede Transportation and Parks maintenance efforts.
During the pilot period, shared e-scooters were moved
from the public right-of-way one time.
Lime takes preventative measures to rebalance e-
scooters and remove parked e-scooters that may
impede snow removal practices on sidewalks and
multi-use paths. While these efforts do help to
mitigate conflicts with transportation maintenance
practices, there have been instances where
maintenance staff have had to move or relocate e-
scooters from their path of travel.
In terms of impacts to parks, there have not been any
concerns or events that have negatively impacted City of Boulder parks or open space areas.
The shared e-scooters are equipped with a GPS unit that can regulate where the e-scooters are
operated. In advance of the start of the program, staff identified areas where shared e-
Figure 32 – An Example of a Geofenced Boundary of
Pleasant View Fields
Figure 31 – Racial Equity Boundary Used to Track Utilization
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 37
scooters should not be operated, such as, the lawn at Scott Carpenter Park, Howard Heuston
Park, Valmont Bike Park, and Pleasant View fields (figure 31). Moving forward, this
“geofencing” technology can be used to designate parking areas and include additional areas
where e-scooters should not be operated.
VII. Proposed Next Steps
In summary, the pilot program has mostly demonstrated a niche for shared e-scooters in the
Boulder community; however, there are some operational challenges associated with dockless
mobility that need to be addressed to ensure a safe environment for all community members.
Staff has developed initial concepts to explore as we consider changes that improve utilization
and program sustainability while reducing risk and conflicts with other users of Boulder’s
transportation infrastructure.
Staff is in the process of seeking feedback from stakeholders, the Transportation Advisory
Board and City Council on these preliminary ideas, as well as other ideas that will optimize the
program. Following the final phase of input, staff will finalize all proposed next steps and
perform identified modifications to the program in spring 2023.
Possible next steps for program formalization in 2023 will relate to operational components of
the program, including, but not limited to:
Service Area Expansion
• Expand service west of 28th Street making access to shared e-scooters city-wide.
o Employ geofencing to prohibit scooters in sensitive areas such as Pearl Street
Mall. Specific areas will be defined in early 2023 based on feedback from TAB,
Council and other stakeholders.
o Continue coordination with CU Boulder to determine appropriate expansion
efforts on CU properties.
Mandatory, Designated Parking Zones
• Explore transition of the shared e-scooter model from primarily a dockless system to a
hybrid docked system by developing criteria to identify candidate areas for designated
parking zones city-wide. Designated parking zones should consist of a combination of
on-street and off-street parking facilities.
o Begin transition in current service area east of 28th Street.
o Coordinate with HOA’s and neighbors to determine appropriate designated
parking area locations.
o Continue to allow dockless capability at major shopping centers and in Boulder
Junction
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 38
o Create mandatory e-scooter parking zones on the periphery of downtown
Boulder and University Hill
Geofence restricted riding areas that mirror the current dismount zones
for both areas.
Investigate options to allow north-south travel on streets through
downtown (7th – 19th Streets)
Safety
• Continue tracking shared e-scooter related crashes and continue coordination with
Boulder Police Department and CU Boulder Police Department regarding the reporting
of crash details and possible crash trends.
• Eliminate impacts to people with disabilities due to improperly parked e-scooters on
sidewalks and multi-use paths.
• Partner with shared micromobility venders and CU Boulder to create a culture of safety
and courtesy on Boulder’s multi-use path system through signing, marking, and
corresponding safety education efforts.
• Continue City of Boulder and CU Boulder safety education messaging through special
events and social media campaigns
• Reinforce and encourage helmet use including the distribution of free helmets to
registered shared e-scooter riders.
• Revisit restrictions for riding shared e-scooters on sidewalks along specific corridors
without high pedestrian volumes until on-street, protected facilities can be established.
Transportation Demand Management
• Explore opportunities to extend TDM benefits to include a micromobility membership
program to employees of general improvement districts (Downtown Boulder, University
Hill, and Boulder Junction)
o In the Downtown and University Hill, explore expanding TDM benefits to include
both Lime and BCycle memberships to employees.
o In Boulder Junction, explore expanding TDM Access District to include Lime
memberships to employees and residents. Boulder Junction’s TDM Access
District currently provides BCycle memberships to all residents and employees.
o Allow access to shared e-scooters past current hours of operation (6:00am-11:00
p.m.) for people who work in the service industry or whose work shifts extend
beyond current hours of operation.
• Explore the concept of a “mobility card” that houses micromobility access, transit
access, and other transportation options for users in one location.
• Explore Lime student membership program for CU Boulder and Naropa University
• As workers continue to return to Boulder’s employment centers on East Walnut, East
Airport Road and Flatirons Business Park, coordinate with Lime, BCycle, the Boulder
Chamber/Boulder Transportation Connections to promote and encourage corporate
micromobility membership programs for employees.
2022-2023 E-SCOOTER EVALUATION REPORT 39
• Improve first and final mile mobility options and coordination between transit agencies
and Lime.
Racial Equity (Accessibility and Affordability)
• Continue to encourage the use of shared micromobility and optimize accessibility for
community members living in traditionally underserved neighborhoods.
• Identify and remove barriers to Lime’s affordability programs.
• Plan and implement focus group meetings to vet program perceptions, opportunities,
and constraints.
• On-going coordination with the City of Boulder Community Connectors-in-Residence
program to optimize the program to fit the needs of community members.
• Explore feasibility and test installation of e-scooter electrical charging infrastructure in
which docked e-scooters can be charged in the field, thereby minimizing provider trips
to replace batteries.
Program Support
• Create an expenditure plan for collected license and per trip fees to bolster the shared
micromobility program in 2023 and beyond. Potential expenditure categories include:
o expenses related to the signing, striping, and marking of roadways
o educational and promotional outreach
o equity programs
o staff time
City Council Support
• On January 5, 2023, City Council expressed their support for expanding the e-scooter
deployment city-wide.
• Based on their support, city staff will work with Lime to develop a proposal to manage e-
scooter operations and parking in the city.