Cedar Rapids brings scooters, e-bikes back for fourth season

CEDAR RAPIDS — Residents and visitors can once again rent an e-bike or scooter in downtown Cedar Rapids and surrounding districts to get around town.

The city launched its micromobility program for a fourth season on April 1. Through the program, Chicago-based vendor VeoRide brings a fleet containing e-bikes, standup scooters and sit-down scooters to the urban core. Users can rent the devices through the Veo mobile app.

The program’s return comes on the heels of the Cedar Rapids City Council signing off on a three-year extension of the city’s contract with VeoRide. Some changes were made to the program in an effort to promote safety and reduce clutter from improperly parked devices.

“Every year we learn from experience and make adjustments to the program to better suit everybody’s needs,” Trent Cerra, a planner for Cedar Rapids, said in a statement. “We’ve made some changes this year to city code and the agreement with Veo to promote safer riding habits.”

Changes include:

• ID verification technology to check that all riders meet the requirement to be at least 18.

• Riders will need to take a safety quiz at the start of each season.

• Idle time for Veo staff to pick up devices left outside of marked areas is now 48 hours, down from 72 hours.

• Geofencing technology will bar devices from being driven into “special event” areas defined by the city’s special events team.

• Increased education efforts will focus on safety, riding rules and better parking practices.

“Across the country, around half of all trips are less than three miles, and about 20 percent are shorter than a mile,” Cerra said. “Short trips are great candidates for micromobility devices and transit. Riding an e-bike or scooter uses less energy than driving a car and is better for the environment.”

To kick off the riding season, riders can use the promo code CRspring22 for $5 in ride credit through April 9. It costs $1 to unlock the devices, and fees per minute vary to ride depending on which device riders use. Designated parking areas are available throughout the riding zone.

More information about the city’s micromobility program, including safety tips and rules for riders, is available at cedar-rapids.org

“We are thrilled to be working with the city of Cedar Rapids to provide sustainable, convenient transportation options for residents and visitors,” Veo Chief Executive Officer Candice Xie said in a statement. “Veo’s unique mixed fleet of seated scooters, standing scooters, and e-bikes expands access by giving riders options to choose a vehicle that best meets their needs.”

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