BALTIMORE — Baltimore City Department of Transportation and Mayor Jack Young announced that the city awarded its first-annual dockless scooter permits under their 2019 Dockless Vehicle Program.
The four companies that were selected to operate under the program include: Lime, Bolt, Spin and Jump.
Jump, Lime and Spin are already operating in Baltimore City. Lime will now offer dockless electric assist bikes, and Jump plans to add bikes to their fleet. Officials say Bolt will soon launch in Baltimore and D.C.
Thursday's announcement means Bird was not selected to receive a permit.
They were one of the first companies to roll out their scooters in Baltimore last summer, but now they will be forced to have their remaining scooters removed from the City by Tuesday, August 6.
BCDOT received seven applications which were scored by a committee of representatives from BCDOT, the Mayor’s Office of Performance and Innovation, the Law Department and the Department of Planning. Each of the companies submitted the top scoring applications in order to be chosen for the city.
“This dockless program affirms my commitment to providing equitable and accessible transportation options for the residents of Baltimore City,” said Mayor Young. “We are creating new and sustainable mobility choices that are efficient for Baltimore residents and all those who visit our great city.”
Residents in Baltimore will now be able to rent electric scooters and bikes throughout the city. Under the permit, the companies will have to follow the rules and regulations developed by the Department of Transportation, its partners, and through public comments.
“The Department of Transportation is excited with the quality and number of dockless operators selected for the 2019 program," said Acting Director Sharkey. “This is a major step towards more equitable transportation options that will help the citizens of Baltimore City. Over the course of the next year, we will continue to evaluate this program in an effort to improve services being provided by the four companies.”
