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Spokane pushes Lime Bikes off sidewalks, into road and bicycle lanes

In a March council meeting, the city decided to move the bikes and scooters from the sidewalks to the roads.

SPOKANE, Wash. — With Lime bikes and scooters coming back to Spokane for a second season, riders will be sharing the road with motorists.

In a March council meeting, the city decided to move the bikes and scooters from the sidewalks to the roads. Riders will have to pedal and scoot in the streets, using bike lanes wherever possible.

The decision came from a safety concern for pedestrians. Riders weaving between them and the differences in walking and riding speeds presented some potentially dangerous situations, said Marlene Feist, a spokesperson for the city of Spokane.

She said the change shouldn't cause much of an effect to traffic on the roads.

Pedestrians aren't as used to dealing with riders along their paths, while motorists are.

"Drivers will just have to be more careful," she said. 

The decision makes Spokane one of the first cities in the Pacific Northwest to enforce this regulation.

Portland is considering moving bikes and scooters off the sidewalks. But cities like Seattle and Bellevue still allow them on their sidewalks.

Feist said the city's biggest goal in making the decision was just to enforce safety.

However, the city is not placing any restrictions on helmets.

While riders are required to wear helmets when using their personal bikes, they won't be required to wear them when using Lime equipment.

Feist said the company asked its riders for feedback. It found that many out-of-town visitors like to ride the bikes and scooters, and many of them don't travel with helmets.

The city decided not to enforce the helmet policy.

Spokane has not had any reports of pedestrian collisions or incidents with the Lime Bikes

But a 2019 study from the University of Washington suggests that people using ride sharing bikes and scooters tend to be more reckless than if they were using their own equipment.

The study was conducted in Seattle and showed that only 20 percent of bike share riders wore helmets, while 90 percent of people riding their own bikes wear helmets.

Feist said for those who don't have a helmet and want to feel safer when using Lime, the company is considering bringing helmet rental kiosks to Spokane.

"We still want people to know that we are always encouraging them to wear a helmet. It's not required, but highly recommended and encouraged," she said.

The bikes and scooters are set to arrive in Spokane on May 13.

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