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Raleigh tool-share lends electric lawn equipment to residents to reduce citations
Summary
The City of Raleigh's Tool Share program lends electric lawnmowers, blowers and trimmers free to residents to help with yard maintenance and reduce code-enforcement citations. Staff say the fleet includes five EGO mowers, pickups occur Wednesdays and Fridays at Pathways, and reservations are made at raleighnc.gov.
Raleigh's Tool Share program now offers electric lawnmowers, blowers and string trimmers residents can borrow at no cost to maintain yards and avoid high-grass citations.
The city podcast Your City Answered featured Code Enforcement Manager Bryce Abernethy and Community Engagement Analyst Emily Freeman explaining the program's origin, how to reserve equipment and early usage figures. "Yes, so we currently have five EGO lawnmowers. So, they're ... electric. So, there's no gas. It's solely electric," Freeman said, adding that each checkout includes the charger and a battery.
The program began in the spring (May) of last year after city council members asked what services the city offered to residents cited for high grass, Abernethy said. Staff looked to a similar program in Greensboro before creating a local option. "We have an insert that goes out with all of our notices of violation for public nuisance issues," Abernethy said, describing outreach to residents who receive violation notices.
Staff described the inventory and operations in detail: five each of electric mowers, blowers and string trimmers; typical demand is about six to eight rentals per week, with peak weekends sometimes checking out the entire mower fleet. Reservations are made online (raleighnc.gov, search "tool share") where residents submit a form with name, address and contact information. Pickups are scheduled for Wednesdays or Fridays at Pathways, 900 S. Wilmington St.; items are returned the following Monday after users sign a liability waiver.
Eligibility is limited to adults 18 and older who live in Raleigh (proof such as a utility bill or lease is required), and equipment must be used only at the reserving household's private residence; staff said commercial or for-hire use is not permitted. Freeman said the basic rental window is typically a Wednesday- or Friday-through-Monday period but staff can sometimes extend returns when availability allows; households may have one active request at a time and may submit new requests when a prior reservation is complete.
Staff noted the city deliberately chose electric equipment to reduce fuel and maintenance burdens and to align with a greening approach. The brand in the fleet is EGO. On maintenance and returns, Freeman said items generally come back in good condition and users report issues when they occur; staff perform repairs as needed. Abernethy offered a specific data point on outreach: he said Emily provided a figure showing 11 reservation respondents marked that they were using the program because of a code-enforcement violation, and he emphasized that those responses are self-reported on the reservation form.
Program expansion could include additional manual tools (rakes, shovels) but staff said lending sharp or powered saws raises safety and legal concerns that might require attorney input and additional operational funding before adoption.
To sign up or learn more, the city directs residents to raleighnc.gov and to search "tool share" for the online reservation form. The program is free and managed by city staff; pickups take place at Pathways, 900 S. Wilmington St. The podcast closed with a call for listener questions submitted through the same city website.
