City Of Norfolk Launching New Electric Bike Share Program

Press release from the City of Norfolk:

Posted on: May 18, 2021

NORFOLK, VA – There is no better time than Bike Month to announce…e-bikes are coming! The City of Norfolk is excited to announce a new electric bike share program with Lime that will provide up to 500 e-bikes as part of a new five-year contract.

Lime provides bike service and scooter service in the same app, so anyone who wants to rent a bike can find one in the same place as the scooters. The bikes require riders to lock and unlock before starting and ending their trip.

To celebrate the launch of the new bikes, the City and Lime will host lessons for riders at Civic Plaza on Friday, May 21 beginning at noon. Lime will provide free helmets for riders, while supplies last.

The announcement comes as the City installs dedicated parking ‘corrals’ for both dockless e-scooters and bikes throughout the City. Users are encouraged to park the scooters and bikes in these convenient locations and avoid cluttering City sidewalks.

Beginning the first week of June, Lime will slowly deploy e-bikes in the City and increase supply based on ridership trends and community demand. As with scooters, riders must be 18 of age to use an e-bike.

“The Department of Transit is pleased to partner with Lime to offer this bike share program which adds another transportation choice for residents that will allow sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility options for short and longer distance trips throughout the city,” stated Amy Inman, Director of Transit. “Whether residents use a scooter or an e-bike, they may use the available bike lanes to safely reach their destination. We are proud to be a multimodal city that offers mobility freedom without using a car.”

“Lime couldn’t be more excited about furthering our partnership with the City of Norfolk,” said Robert Gardner, Director of Government Relations for the mid-Atlantic. “By adding e-bikes to the City’s transportation mix, more riders will be able to take an emissions-free, socially distant and safe form of transportation around the City and get people moving on the road to recovery. The launch comes just in time for the good weather and we hope to help folks get outside again in ways that are safe and fun.”

Since launching e-scooters in Norfolk in 2019, Lime has provided more than 1,002,308 rides, measuring 984,179 total miles, while helping replace over 200,000 car trips. Lime currently operates 1,250 e-scooters in Norfolk. Lime is also partnering with the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation, allowing riders to donate a portion of the cost of their ride to support the trail.

This press release was produced by the City of Norfolk. The views expressed here are the author’s own.