Council approves Lime bike‑share agreement extension and $10,000 to replace legacy racks

Administration on March 5 recommended extending the license agreement with Lime for continued bike‑share services, aligning program terminology to call discounted areas 'access zones', requiring two annual education events, and appropriating an additional $10,000 (from scooter right‑of‑way fees) to remove and replace legacy Coast racks with inverted U racks compatible with Lime equipment.

Transportation manager Cheryl Stacks told council the Lime system has driven ridership gains — "we have seen a significant increase under the Lime system over a 100% increase in bike share trips" — and noted operational rules: class‑1 e‑bikes are capped at 15 mph and the operator can suspend users for egregious misuse. Stacks said the extra appropriation would improve aesthetics and reduce tip‑overs tied to old racks.

Council members asked about abandoned or improperly parked devices and enforcement. Stacks said Lime is typically responsive and that staff prefer to retain a nuisance‑fee mechanism rather than direct user fines, though the operator has tools to cut off problematic users. The council voted unanimously to approve the amendment and the appropriation.