Minneapolis bikes, scooters for rent again starting this week

Electric scooters and bikes will be back for rent on Minneapolis streets this week.

The city struck a deal with three operators — Lime, Spin and Veo — and the scooters and bikes, which users can pick up and leave almost anywhere, will be available for rent via app starting Thursday and lasting through the good-weather months.

All three vendors will offer scooters for rent. Only Lime and Veo will offer the bikes; Lime's will have pedal-assist, and Veo's have pedal-assist plus a throttle, similar to the scooters, for a pedal-free ride, the city said in a statement Tuesday. Scooters became available in St. Paul last week.

Minneapolis had used Lyft's Nice Ride e-bikes and scooter sharing program, but in March that program ended after losing a major sponsor.

So this year's program will look different. Without Nice Ride's bike docking system, riders now can end their bike trips anywhere, as they do with scooters. They need to lock the bikes at any bike rack or signpost except stop signs or bus stop signs — and not leave them on sidewalks where people need to pass. Nice Ride and Lyft have also provided bike and scooter racks around town.

And of course, a cardinal rule — and the law — is riding only on streets and bike trails, not sidewalks.

The riding and parking rules can be found on the city's website, minneapolismn.gov.

All three operators will offer low-income pricing for those who qualify. See how to sign up for that on the city's website.