Publicly accessible shared mobility devices, which include dockless e-scooters and docked e-bicycle systems, have offered a cost-effective means of transportation within Salt Lake City since July 2018. But these systems come with their own set of responsibilities.
According to Salt Lake City’s transportation department, shared mobility offers users the opportunity to rent personal transportation for one-way trips. There are several providers of shared mobility devices, also known as micromobility devices, in the city.
The Lime shared mobility brand, with its recognizable lime green and white color scheme, is prevalent in Salt Lake. The brand also distributes e-bikes for transportation in the city, but these are harder to find on the street.
Orange and black e-scooters from Spin can be found lying by the side of the road, like Lime e-scooters, in almost every city neighborhood. The company began offering e-bike services at the University of Utah in 2022.
Utah-based nonprofit GREENbike provides docked e-bikes in Salt Lake City and Ogden. As the only bike share company currently in Utah, GREENbike’s only e-bike competitor is Lime.
Unlike the undocked e-scooters from Lime and Spin, GREENbikes can be found at docking stations that charge the e-bikes when not in use. The company recommends downloading the BCycle app when trying to find the closest dock.
The benefits of shared mobility devices are threefold, says Lucio Ruelas, a Salt Lake City resident and staff member at Salt Lake Community College’s testing center.
“They are a very portable way to transport [oneself] and are energy efficient,” Ruelas said. “They [result in] less pollution as well.”
How they work
Both dockless e-scooters and docked e-bikes can be rented for individual use at various locations within Salt Lake City. Users can download an app – either Lime, Spin or BCycle, depending on what’s being used – and choose their preferred payment option to unlock a device.
The city government has established ordinances for micromobility devices. For example, commuters must use designated bike lanes rather than sidewalks in the downtown area.
Users of micromobility devices must also avoid obstructing bike racks, lamp posts, UTA bus stops, ADA access points, and designated parking spots for vehicles. When a commuter has reached their destination, the device should be left in a non-obstructed spot between the sidewalk and curb, to free up pedestrian walkways.
However, Ruelas said he has observed e-scooters being left in places that block sidewalks or pose a driving hazard. He suggested the need for designated drop-off stations to ensure their secure placement.
“I’ve seen them left behind at any location,” Ruelas said. “[They] obstruct the sidewalk. I’ve seen them in the road too. They should have drop off stations … to [make it] more secure.”
‘More regulation is needed’
Jonathan Storrs, a social work student at SLCC, said he would like to see increased regulation regarding the use of electric e-scooters, emphasizing the need to clarify whether they should be used on sidewalks or streets and whether helmets should be required to ride.
Storrs said he thinks it’s important to raise awareness among drivers and that the city government addresses the issues of speed and lane adherence.
“More regulation is needed,” Storrs said. “[Are they] for the sidewalk or the street? If they are for the street, then that needs to be made clear.”
“Helmets need to be worn,” Storrs added. “Cars need to be aware because it is confusing. If they are on the sidewalk … they get in the way of pedestrians.”
SLCC alumna and U student Alexia Stonehocker owns an e-scooter and uses it to get to and around the U campus. She said certain responsibilities come with riding e-scooters.
“I’m very diligent when I ride,” Stonehocker said. “I have a helmet when I ride off campus. [They] can go pretty fast. Up on campus, they can give a ticket if you go over 10 mph.”
“In my neighborhood, cars [do not] pay attention to you,” Stonehocker added, regarding the dangers that people take on when riding e-scooters. “[It’s especially dangerous] when I’m on a black e-scooter. [Mine] has bright blue lights for when it gets dark.”
Stonehocker said she supports the public use of e-scooters and e-bikes but recommends making more bike-friendly roads in Salt Lake City. She contested that doing so would help alleviate some of the dangers associated with riding them.
“I wished I lived in a community where [it was] safe to ride one,” Stonehocker said. “We don’t live in a very walkable or bikeable city. Wider sidewalks would be a help [as well as] just making things less car-centric.”