ScooterLNK

Lincoln City Council approved a permanent e-scooter program (ScooterLNK) on March 21, 2022 after a successful 16-month pilot program. The official ScooterLNK program started on October 4, 2022 and will operate with two vendors, Lime and Bird, selected through the City’s procurement process.

How to Ride

  1. Download app (Lime or Bird) Apps require a credit/​debit/​prepaid card number to register.

  2. Scan QR Code Select “ride” then scan the QR code between the handlebars of the e-scooter.

  3. Ride & Park Find an appropriate parking spot and submit photo to document e-scooter return.

YouTube video Watch: How to Ride ScooterLNK (1:53)

For more information on how to ride, see Rules and Frequently Asked Questions.

E-scooters participating in the City’s ScooterLNK program are only allowed to operate within the areas shown on the map.

No phone or bank?

Lime Access provides discounted fares to qualifying riders in the United States, and access to Lime e-scooters for people without smartphones or credit cards. To qualify, an individual must demonstrate participation in an eligible local, state or federal public benefits program.

For riders without a smartphone, please text 415-463-3473 to unlock an e-scooter and follow the prompts.

Pilot Program

The pilot saw over 91,000 trips taken on e-scooters by over 25,000 unique users. The high number of trips and users demonstrates how e-scooters were used as a valid form of transportation. This is further exemplified by the 21% of users who indicated that an e-scooter trip replaced a car trip. The ScooterLNK program will continue to provide reliable, safe, and accessible micromobility transportation options to Lincoln residents and visitors while contributing to Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan goal of having a decarbonized transportation system.

Contact Information

E-scooter Vendor Customer Support
Lime: 888-LIME-345
support@li.me
City of Lincoln LTU, Traffic Engineering
Roberto Partida, Transportation Planner: rpartida@lincoln.ne.gov

COVID-19 Precautions

The City of Lincoln requires vendors to provide a sanitation plan in order to operate within city limits. The following plans illustrate the precautions being taken to ensure electric scooters are ready for use in a healthy manner during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operating Rules

Before riding an e-scooter, know the operating rules:

  • Riders can only ride electric scooters in the street or designated bike lanes downtown.
  • Electric scooters are not allowed to operate on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or greater.
  • Electric scooters shall not be ridden on multi-paths (i.e. City trails)
  • Electric scooters shall not be carried onto StarTran buses
  • Users…
    • should wear a helmet for safety
    • must be over the age of 18 and hold a valid motor vehicle operator’s permit or a valid state issued ID
    • must follow all traffic rules, signals, and signs
    • must ride in the bicycle lane or vehicle lane with the flow of traffic
    • must yield to pedestrians and walk scooters on sidewalk when parking
    • must not ride scooters under the influence of any alcohol or drugs
  • Electric scooters shall only be ridden by one passenger at a time
(JPG, 244KB) LPD at ScooterLNK demo August 29, 2020

Parking Rules

After riding an e-scooter, know the parking rules:

Park electric scooters the correct way in the following areas:

In City-designated parking areas and corrals

“P” and 8th streets

“P” and Canopy streets

“Q” and 7th streets

“R” and 7th streets

“R” and 8th streets

“R” and 13th streets

“R” Street and Nebraska Union

16th and “S” streets

17th Street and Knoll Residence Hall

16th and “W” streets

  • Designated scooter parking areas

Within the furniture/landscape area of the City sidewalk like next to bicycle racks, trash cans or flowerpots

Allow at least 4-feet of usable pedestrian walking space around the e-scooter at all times

(JPG, 295KB) E-scooters may be parked within the furniture/landscape area of City sidewalks
  • Electric scooters shall not be parked in the following areas:
    • Within 15 feet of intersections
    • Within transit zones (i.e. StarTran stops, shelters, boarding platforms, passenger waiting areas and bus layover and staging zones)
    • Within loading zones
    • Within disabled parking zones
    • Within the street furniture that requires pedestrian access (e.g. benches, parking pay stations, bus shelters, transit information signs, etc.)
    • On curb ramps
    • On entryways to buildings or alleys
    • On driveways

City Ordinances

The City of Lincoln has established city ordinances that must be followed by both the users and the vendors. LMC Chapter 5.52 Shared Mobility Devices

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the service area in Lincoln?

The ScooterLNK Program map(PDF, 5MB) shows the boundaries of the e-scooter program.

E-scooters are not allowed to be ridden on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

E-scooters will come to a slow stop when riders go outside of the operating area.

What are the operating hours for the e-scooters?

E-scooters are allowed to operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Users will not be able to start any trips outside of that operating window. E-scooters will not be available during UNL Husker football home game days.

How can I rent an e-scooter?

A user must download the vendor’s app (Lime or Bird) and enter into a rental agreement. Both Lime and Bird apps requires users to enter a credit/debit/prepaid card number to register and enable the rider to rent an e-scooter.

Available e-scooters will be shown on maps within the app. To rent an e-scooter, the user will tap on a “ride” button on the app and then scan the QR code located between the handlebars of the e-scooters. To scan QR codes, riders need to open their camera on their phone and point it at the QR code.

To end a ride, the user must find an appropriate parking spot. The ride will end when the rider takes a photo documenting the proper parking location.

How do I ride an e-scooter if I don’t have a smartphone and/or credit card?

Lime Access provides discounted fares to qualifying riders in the United States, and access to Lime e-scooters for people without smartphones or credit cards. To qualify, an individual must demonstrate participation in an eligible local, state or federal public benefits program.

  • For riders without a smartphone, please text 415-463-3473 to unlock an e-scooter and follow the prompts.
  • For riders without a credit card, once qualified for Lime Access, you will received a PayNearMe payment code. To complete payment:
    1. Take your PayNearMe payment code to a participating payment location
    2. Show the payment code to the clerk and pay with cash
    3. Keep your receipt as proof of payment
    4. For questions about eligibility, pricing and more, contact support@li.me

Where can people ride e-scooters?

E-scooters are only allowed to be ridden on the street or in on-street bike facilities like bike lanes, including the N-Street Cycle Track in the downtown area. Just like the restriction that has been in place for bicycles, e-scooters are not allowed to be ridden on downtown Lincoln sidewalks.

E-scooters are not allowed to be ridden on roadways with speeds of 35 MPH or greater.

Where can people park e-scooters?

E-scooters can be parked within street furniture and landscape like bicycle racks, trash cans or flowerpots.

E-scooters can also be parked along the side of buildings as along as they are not blocking entryways or exists.

E-scooters must also be parked within the City right-of-way, leaving room for pedestrians to walk by (must leave at least 4-feet of space for pedestrians).

E-scooters are not allowed to be parked on private property.

Are there designated e-scooter parking locations?

City-designated parking areas and corrals:

  • “P” and 8th streets
  • “P” and Canopy streets
  • “Q” and 7th streets
  • “R” and 7th streets
  • “R” and 8th streets
  • “R” and 13th streets
  • “R” Street and Nebraska Union
  • 16th and “S” streets
  • 17th Street and Knoll Residence Hall
  • 16th and “W” streets

Who can people contact if they have any questions, comments, or concerns with the e-scooter program?

If an e-scooter is knocked over, parked incorrectly, found in a prohibited area or damaged/inoperable, the public should call or email the e-scooter vendor below:

People can also use UPLNK to report non-emergency, quality-of-life issues within the Lincoln City limits, including any e-scooter related issues.

How will the City enforce parking and riding regulations?

To ensure that riders are following the rules, LTU will actively cooperate and coordinate with the Lincoln Police Department (LPD). Initially, the City is handling enforcement by giving out warnings and educating riders that riding on the sidewalks is not allowed in Downtown Lincoln. After an initial introduction phase, if police have evidence that someone has violated City code, the rider or vendor could be cited. Possible penalties for violating the code are up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or a combination of both fine and jail.

The City is also conducting targeted communication efforts and has an active social media education campaign currently running on the correct ways to ride and park e-scooters in Lincoln. These targeted communication efforts focus heavily on the improper use of e-scooters, sidewalk violations and improper parking.

What sanitary/COVID measures are being put in place?

The City of Lincoln requires the e-scooter vendors to provide sanitation plans in order to operate. When e-scooters are picked up to recharge overnight, they are sanitized before being deployed for use the following day. Overall, the City encourages users to follow CDC guidelines and wash their hands before and after riding an e-scooter.

Scooter Sanitation Guidelines (Lime)(PDF, 2MB)