Over 150,000 rides made on Lime bikes and scooters in South Lake Tahoe

This summer has been a big one for Lime rides in South Lake Tahoe. Since they launches in May there have been over 100,000 scooter rides and over 50,000 bike rides on the popular lime green rentals. Lime started with bikes on May 21 and Scooters on June 6.

While the launch of electric scooters has provided a fun, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly alternative to residents and tourists, there are safety concerns as very few of those renting the Lime Scooters abide by the helmet and age laws. There have been several accidents in South Lake Tahoe involving the scooters, most of them from users not using them as directed.

In 2017 there were 12,000 Lime bike rides. After the first 60 days in South Lake Tahoe this summer (back on July 25), the 34,735 bike trips at that time were made by 16,350 unique riders traveling 27,303 miles for an average trip of 11 minutes. The scooter rides were at 52,602 made by 18,626 unique riders for an average trip of 12 minutes traveling 80,065 miles.

“We’re thrilled to see Lime riders pass the 100,000-ride mark,” said Jesse Patterson, chief strategy officer, League to Save Lake Tahoe. “This means tens of thousands of car trips have been replaced with bike and scooter trips, reducing pollution that harms Lake Tahoe’s famous clarity. This also makes it easier for locals and visitors to enjoy Lake Tahoe without being stuck in traffic.”

Lime reported in their recent Annual Report that Lime’s electric scooters take riders to their destination 22 percent faster than traditional pedal bikes. The report also highlighted their new Lime Access program, an affordability program that allows qualifying riders to unlock any Lime product without a smartphone, purchase Lime credit with cash in partnership with PayNearMe and receive a 50 percent discount on every ride.

"I am so thrilled to see scooter and bike share positively impacting the South Lake Tahoe community,” said Stefanie Sarradet, Lime Operations Manager. “As a Tahoe local and outdoors enthusiast, it’s been amazing to work collectively with the community to embrace a solution that protects our atmosphere while allowing residents and visitors to affordably see and move around this tremendous natural space. Hitting over 150,000 rides is a significant landmark of success, and I am so grateful for all the local businesses who host and support us and the Lime team here in Tahoe, who work around the clock to ensure the project is running smoothly."

Lime created over 40 jobs in South Lake Tahoe this summer.

Lime has released a video on how to use the Lime S (Lime Scooter) safely - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=&v=zOMYOBBRtM8.

Lime-S riders must be 18-years or older, have a valid driver’s license, and wear a helmet. State law says the riders need to be 16 but Lime has increased that to 18. Logging on to rent the scooters advises the renters of the laws and rules.