Plano residents could see more e-scooters zooming around town.
The city and ride share company Lime launched a fleet of 40 scooters last week – with future plans to increase the number of scooters to 250.
“It's a good thing for transportation because it's giving people more options,” said Plano spokesperson Steve Stoler.
He said the scooters are meant to bridge what’s known as the “last mile” that mass public transit can’t cover.
“So you have to have a means of transportation of getting from that DART destination to your house, to a restaurant, to wherever you're going to,” Stoler said. “Scooters, bicycles or walking are three of the alternatives that get you that last mile.”
The new fleet more than doubles the number of scooters in Plano; the city already had 30 Bird scooters.
Lime previously operated the city in 2018, but Plano introduced an ordinance that same year cracking down on how micro-mobility companies could operate within city limits.
According to the ordinance, e-scooters are allowed only on sidewalks except in certain areas of the city, such as downtown. The ordinance also enforces speed limits. Anyone who violates the ordinance can face up to a $200 fine for each offense.
“At that time, I don't think it fit Lime's business model for what they wanted,” Stoler said. “In between then and now, I think they've decided to go different directions with the business model,”
City officials point to the ordinance as a reason why Plano won’t have issues with micro-mobility shared vehicles that other North Texas cities have experienced.
Lime and other micro-mobility companies in Plano would be responsible for collecting the scooters and returning them to Plano’s designated parking area.
Earlier this year, Lime also relaunched its shared e-scooter program in Dallas after a three-year pause.
Juan Salinas II is a KERA news intern. Got a tip? Email Juan at jsalinas@kera.org. You can follow Juan on Twitter @4nsmiley.
