Dockless e-scooters arrive in Edina

Dockless electric scooters have arrived in Edina, continuing the mobility-sharing pilot program that began in the west metro suburb last summer with dockless bikes.

The so-called e-scooters are popping up in various parts of Edina through Lime, the San Mateo, Calif.-based company that supplied dockless bikes for rent last summer.

The City Council approved a user agreement with Lime in March that absolved the city of liability. The pilot program will run through the end of the year, when city officials will evaluate how things went to decide whether to implement the program for a longer term.

Under state law, e-scooters can be used wherever bikes are permitted except for sidewalks. In Edina, that includes operation of e-scooters along off-street bike paths and trails, but not on trails marked only for pedestrian use.

Because they are dockless, e-scooters can be parked on any public sidewalk as long as at least 3 feet of clearance is left for pedestrians. If left in the wrong place, the e-scooters carry contact information to have them moved; the city won't do that.

People wanting to ride e-scooters can download the Lime app, which will help them find and unlock scooters nearby. It costs $1 to unlock an e-scooter and 15 cents per minute to ride it. The app provides instructions on how to end the ride and park the e-scooters.

Bird became the first company last summer to provide dockless scooter services in Minneapolis, just before Lime. Cities across the country were left scrambling to adopt regulations as dockless scooters hit the streets.

Kevin Duchschere • 651-925-5035