Lime’s new scooters are on San Francisco streets — but you won’t have to stand to take them. The new Glider is a blend between the scooter and e-bikes available for rent on sidewalks across the city, with bigger tires than the typical scooter and no pedals.
The 250 scooters offer a chance for more people with disabilities to experience the convenience of scooting around the city, according to Hayden Harvey, Lime’s director of government relations. Lime also hopes it can mitigate the perception that public scooters are dangerous, which is supported by growing evidence.
“People look at these and see them as more approachable,” Harvey said. “The whole idea is to get people out of their cars and onto two wheels.”
Harvey noted that the wide footrest on the scooter improves balance, while the location of the battery — toward the back — keeps the center of gravity low. Additionally, the scooter’s handlebars are wide to support an upright riding position, and the seat is long so that riders of any height can move forward or back for greater comfort.
“With the addition of the new seated LimeGliders, we will have even more accessible options for people with disabilities, seniors and other people who may not feel comfortable or safe on standing scooters," said Julie Kirschbaum, director of transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
I got the chance to take the Glider around SoMa streets and found it to be as advertised. Since I was lower to the ground, I could see obstacles, and since the tires are larger than those on other scooters, I could handle bumps in the road with ease.
The Gliders have a top speed of 15 mph and are regulated exactly like Lime’s standing scooters, which means they can be found on the sidewalk wherever the last person locked them, rather than at designated docks. The same basic rules apply: Wear a helmet, only one rider at a time, don’t be on drugs or alcohol, and don’t text and ride.
The scooters come with a phone holder that accommodates large devices, a battery with more than 30 miles of charge, and a cargo bin in front for storage. They cost $1 to unlock and 55 cents a minute, or $8 for a 30-minute ride.
The Vespa-like scooters were introduced this spring in Seattle, where they were piloted last year; other pilots were in Atlanta and Zurich. They’ve since become more popular than standing scooters in Seattle, and have been rolled out in Denver and Austin.
Harvey is optimistic the Glider will become the go-to car alternative in San Francisco as well — and it's able to handle all the hills.
“Hills are one of the main things we had in mind for the LimeGlider, where the main goal is to simply make getting places easier,” Harvey said. “We are going to see how it goes.”