As Albuquerque city councilors prepare to debate at their Aug. 5 meeting a proposal that would lower charges for scooter and bike rental companies — one has expressed interest in operating in Albuquerque.
City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn introduced the proposal because she wants to make the city more accessible but said the fees the city charges companies are “ridiculously high.” For instance, she said, the same setup costs almost four times more to operate in Albuquerque than it does in Colorado Springs.
Read more about the new fees proposed here.
Now, Lime — one of the world’s largest shared electric vehicle companies — is looking to bring its bright green scooters to Albuquerque. Robert Gardner, Lime’s director of market expansions, said the company has been talking with the city for a while.
“We’ve been in touch with the city now for over a year, and had conversations with the mayor, with [Planning] Director [Alan] Varela, and then also with council members,” Gardner said.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 5 p.m. Aug. 5
WHERE: Vincent E. Griego Chambers in the Albuquerque Government Center, 1 Civic Plaza NW
VIRTUAL: GOV-TV or on the city’s YouTube channel
Operating in more than 260 cities, this would be Lime’s first time in New Mexico.
Gardner said the city would be a great place for the company to operate and the company wants to start with scooters because they are used three to four times more than its bikes. He also said the company has data showing people are opening the Lime app in Albuquerque looking for its scooters.
“Despite the fact that there is no Lime available in Albuquerque, we still see demand coming from Albuquerque,” Gardner said. “So as this program matures, I think there is some really great things to be expected.”