City of Raleigh announces deal with 3 new scooter vendors

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Various electric scooters will soon be rolling in Raleigh.

City officials have invited three new companies to be part of Raleigh's dockless scooter program: Lime, Bolt, and Spin.

Lime was one of the companies that left Raleigh back in 2019. The company currently operates micromobility services on the NC State campus.

Spin and Bolt provide service in Durham. Bolt recently acquired Gotcha, a former vendor in Raleigh.

"We applaud the work that Raleigh is doing to expand alternative transit solutions that are not only sustainable but also support social distancing," Spin spokesperson Vivian Myrtetus said. "With an extensive bike lane network already in place in Raleigh, we feel Spin will be a natural and complementary addition to the local transit network."

Lime, Bolt, and Spin will each maintain a minimum of 50 fleet vehicles up to 250 vehicles across the city when the program begins operation this May, according to the Raleigh Department of Transportation.

Collaboration with Lime, Bolt, and Spin will include efforts to promote responsible ridership, parking behavior, customer service response, and vehicle cleanliness to mitigate COVID-19 spread.

The electric scooter companies made their debut in Raleigh during the summer of 2018. Months later, City Council created regulations and fees specifically for rent-able electric scooters.

Companies balked and said the city made the cost of business too burdensome at the time.