Scooters roll out again in Minneapolis this weekend

Scooters will be coming back to the streets of Minneapolis to reclaim their spot, reminding people of what city life looked like before COVID.

City leaders signed a two-year license agreement with scooter operators Bird and Lyft for its shared motorized foot scooter program.

The city, which had the ability to contract with up to six companies, chose only Bird and Lyft last year. After the coronavirus pandemic dramatically decreased scooter ridership in 2020, city leaders are hoping that will change now that more people are getting vaccinated. This year's ridership will be a crucial one that will help inform the city about future programs.

"Hopefully, people are feeling safer now this summer than last summer to be able to get outside and safely, socially distance outside with these vehicles and help them to connect without cars to a lot of different things across the city," said Danielle Elkins, the city's mobility manager.

Bird started testing some of its fleet Thursday. By the weekend, Lyft and Bird will make available a total of 1,000 scooters. City leaders said they are hoping to expand the fleet to a maximum of 2,500 by Memorial Day and remove them when severely cold weather returns.

Because of the equity requirement attached to the license agreement, the city has asked the companies to distribute at least 30% of its scooters in areas of concentrated poverty. City data show scooters help improve job opportunities and connect people with resources when they are placed in low-income communities, Elkins said.

"Previously, there was a hesitancy or a fear that the scooters wouldn't get used or be worth putting in those locations," Elkins said. "We are seeing results, which is positive for what we're trying to accomplish."

The program will run through Dec. 31. Operators will pay fees of 5 to 15 cents per trip to the city. City leaders said they will continue to regulate safety, making sure scooters aren't blocking sidewalks and other public rights of way.

Faiza Mahamud • 612-673-4203