Just in time for a weather warmup, scooters return to St. Paul

It must be spring because Lime scooters are back in St. Paul — and Minneapolis is not far behind.

The electric scooters are available to rent throughout St. Paul beginning Thursday, according to Jacob Tugendrajch, a spokesperson for the San Francisco-based mobility company.

Despite there being at least a foot of snow in many places and temperatures hovering around freezing, Tugendrajch said the launch in St. Paul began Thursday morning "so they're out there on the streets." They've arrived just before the much-anticipated warmup this weekend and next week in the Twin Cities.

A second scooter company, Spin, is expected to serve St. Paul as well.

Tugendrajch said in an email that Minneapolis will soon have scooters, too: "[We're] working with the city to schedule the launch in the next few weeks."

This year, Lime's new generation of scooters, called Gen4, has been upgraded, according to a news release.

The Gen4 model includes a new configuration of handlebars that allows riders to keep their elbows at their side and a dual hand brake system to facilitate slowing and stopping. A lower deck makes it easier to mount or dismount, and better kickstands prevent scooters from tipping over while parked, reducing clutter on sidewalks, Lime said.

Lime will continue its Equity Zone Pricing initiative that offers 30% off rides in the Frogtown, Payne Phalen, North End, Dayton's Bluff and West Side neighborhoods of St. Paul. Lime says these areas were chosen because they have been "traditionally underserved by existing modes of transportation and were designed to prioritize driving instead of sustainable transportation."

People can rent scooters by downloading the Lime app on their phones. There, they can locate a scooter, scan a QR code to unlock it and scoot away.

Prices vary depending on location. For Equity Zone rentals in St. Paul, the price to rent a scooter is $1 to start, then 30 cents per minute plus tax with a 12-mile range, according to the app. For non-Equity Zone rentals, the cost is $1 to start and 39 cents per minute plus tax, with a 10-mile range.

In St. Paul, the speed limit for scooters is 15 mph on flat pavement.

Scooters have been available in the capital city since 2018, making it one of Lime's longest-running markets.