Lime Bikes provide alternative transportation to Edina residents, but is there a hidden cost?
November 2, 2018
It’s only $1 per 30 minutes to ride a Lime Bike, the new trendy way to go from place to place. Just show up to any green and yellow Lime Bike, scan the QR Code on their app, and begin your ride. The bike is outfitted with three gears, a basket, lights, and a kickstand to make your ride as enjoyable as possible. When tested, the ride quality was very rough, which may cause comfort issues, but it’s worth it for the easy access and low chance of a breakdown. It’s a solid bike for short distances.
The bikes are tracked and maintained by Lime workers throughout the metro area. The target audience is people who don’t already have their own bike, or who are somewhere and need a last minute ride somewhere. Specifically, the bikes are “for people who maybe don’t live in Edina, but work in Edina and want to take a quick trip over to lunch hour,” Transport Planner Mark Nolan said. As Edina is moving towards a more active and healthy environment, both for the planet and its citizens, the city is working on a “Living Streets” plan. “The cities over the past few years have put in a lot of bike lanes, bike trails, and paths. It’s just a way to provide another easy mode of transportation for people,” Nolan said. The city wants to promote active lifestyles while offering more modes of transportation, and Lime Bikes delivers on both of those goals. Lime bikes cannot be left on private property, like a driveway, so for kids who want to take them home from school, they need to be left on public property.
Lime is helping Edina move towards a more active and healthy environment, says the Edina Transportation Department. Getting more people on bikes will reduce pollution and create healthier individuals. All in all, Edina is looking to become more environmentally friendly, as well as a safe place for people living active lifestyles. With the help of Lime bikes, Edina is striving for everyone to get on a bike.
