Dockless Bike-Share Launches In Watertown

WATERTOWN, MA – Dockless bike-share vendor Lime launched its service in Watertown Friday as part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's regional program. Watertown is the sixth city to launch Lime since April.

The vendor is one of two companies selected to provide dock-free service in 15 communities in metro Boston, including Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Needham, Newton, Revere, Waltham, Watertown and Winthrop.

"Lime is thrilled to bring our dock-free smart bikes to Arlington and Watertown. Many of the communities north of Boston have now added our affordable, green transportation option for everyone to enjoy," Scott Mullen, Lime Director of Expansion, New England, said in a statement. "Our expansion complements the Emerald Network, a growing system of off-road bike paths connecting communities, and allows stress-free travel throughout the region. The Arlington and Watertown paths will soon be joined through the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway– a critical piece of the broader network."

Lime currently operates in over 70 markets and is the largest shared bike and scooter provider in the United States. Over 4 million rides have taken place on the Lime platform since the company's launch a year ago, Lime said in a press release.

It is the only multimodal provider to offer electric scooters, electric bikes, and classic manual pedal bikes. The entire Lime fleet is GPS and 3G-enabled, making it simple for riders to find, unlock and pick up a nearby bike or scooter using their smartphone. When the ride is finished, riders simply end the ride with the Lime mobile app and responsibly park by the street curb or at a bike rack.

"Watertown is pleased to be part of this bike-sharing network of 15 communities," Steve Magoon, assistant town manager and director of community development and planning in Watertown, said in a statement. "Bike-sharing is a great tool to help reduce the number of car trips throughout the Town, thereby reducing congestion and pollution. It also promotes a great means of active transportation."

Learn how Lime works: https://www.limebike.com/how-to-lime. The free Lime mobile app can be downloaded from the GooglePlay store or the Apple App Store. To receive $5 credit to try LimeBikes, new riders can use promo code: LIMELAUNCH.

Photo by Tim Moran, Patch