Another city in Washington launches scooter-share pilot as Seattle holdout continues

Editor’s note: The headline of this story has been updated to more accurately describe scooter-share in the Seattle region.

Cities surrounding Seattle are embracing scooter-share, the new mobility craze that is rapidly changing how urbanites get around. Bothell, Wash., a city about 20 miles outside of Seattle, is the latest to launch a scooter-share pilot. Starting Friday, 100 Lime scooters will be available to rent on Bothell streets.

But the region’s biggest city isn’t drinking the neon green Kool-Aid. Seattle still hasn’t authorized a scooter-share pilot, though Mayor Jenny Durkan said she would support a program if the companies offering it agree to certain safety terms.

Meanwhile, nearby cities are embracing the technology. Tacoma, Everett, and Spokane, Wash., all have scooter-share pilots while Bellevue is following Seattle’s lead with electric bicycle-share.

Update July 29: Microsoft’s hometown, Redmond, Wash., plans to roll out Lime e-scooters starting July 30. The initial fleet will “number in the low hundreds,” according to Lime.

In May, Durkan said Seattle is working on a pilot program but before it moves forward, companies that provide the service will need to meet certain conditions. Scooter-share operators, like Lime and Bird, will have to agree to four terms before the pilot launches. The city’s non-negotiables center on “equity and accessibility, fairness to riders, safety and indemnification.”

Bothell’s pilot will run for 90 days, during which time the City Council will collect feedback from the community about the program. After 90 days, the city will decide whether or not to implement a long-term scooter-share program.