MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The above video is from 2019.
A sure sign of summer: Scooters are back for the season in Minneapolis.
The city announced Thursday that it has come to licensing agreements with Bird and Lyft for the 2021 motorized foot scooter program. Bird and Lyft are the two companies that reached agreements with Minneapolis in 2020, although Bird was absent in 2019 after the city chose other providers.
Minneapolis only allows 2,500 scooters in the city at a maximum. Forty percent of those are allowed downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods, and at least 30% have to go to lower-income areas in north, northeast and south Minneapolis.
This year's program will run through Dec. 31, 2021.
The city will also be asking for public feedback on the future of "shared mobility" programs in Minneapolis, including things like bike and scooter share companies.
According to the Thursday news release, equity and safety are "key focus areas."
- The operators are required to have low-income pricing programs and participate in Mobility Hubs
- They are also required to do ongoing education and outreach on safe riding and proper parking
More information about using scooters in Minneapolis can be found on the city's website.