Scoot! (Electrically)
Visitors to Miami’s Wynwood can hop on an electric scooter.
Bright green and white electric scooters began popping up in Wynwood last week.
They’re from LimeBike, a California-based company that has placed dockless bike sharing systems in some South Florida cities. The company is now rolling out a fleet of electric scooters in Miami’s Wynwood arts district.
Customers use a smartphone app to locate and activate a scooter, called Lime-S. It costs $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute.
The company said it’s working with 30 businesses in the Wynwood Business Improvement District for the launch. LimeBike officials say that Wynwood is the first area in Florida to receive the electric scooters which look like the Razor brand kick scooters.
“We see this scooter rollout as an excellent opportunity to improve Wynwood by enhancing mobility to local businesses and reducing car traffic, making the shopping district a safer, more environmentally friendly place,’’ said Gauthier Derrien, LimeBike regional general manager.
The scooters began arriving in the artsy district known for its colorful graffiti on Tuesday. They can reach a distance of up to 37 miles and a top speed of 14.8 mph. They run on a 250-watt motor.
A rider must be at least 18 years old and have a driver’s license to use the scooter. Because the scooters are dock free, riders are asked to park them by the curbside.
The Miami program follows the scooter launch in San Diego in February and Washington D.C. in March. No word yet whether the scooters will be introduced to other South Florida communities.
Last summer, LimeBike introduced its bright green dockless bicycles to South Florida, beginning in Key Biscayne. The island village was the first municipality nationally to have LimeBike.
Unlike other bikesharing systems that require users to return to a docking station, LimeBike riders can leave the bikes at a rack or anywhere that allows bike parking, such as a park or along a sidewalk.
The company has since expanded its bicycle service to North Bay Village, Miami Shores, North Miami as well as Johnson & Wales, Barry University and St. Thomas University.