116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Sit-down scooters arrive as part of Cedar Rapids bike share program
City offering free test ride June 3 at Greene Square
CEDAR RAPIDS — Cosmo sit-down scooters will arrive Friday as the newest addition to the fleet of bikes and stand-up scooters available through the city of Cedar Rapids’ bike share program.
Residents may test the new scooters for free during a launch gathering from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Thursday, June 3 in Greene Square downtown, according to a news release. Staff from the vendor, Chicago-based VeoRide, will be available to help residents download the mobile app or to answer questions about the new scooters and how they operate.
Normal fares will resume after the event.
The event, originally planned for this Thursday, was rescheduled because of rain in the weather forecast. The new scooters still will be available starting Friday, in time for Memorial Day weekend.
These sit-down scooters travel at the same speeds as traditional stand-up scooters. The Cosmo lowers the rider’s center of gravity, makes hand signaling easier and provides another mobility option for riders who are not comfortable or able to ride a bike or traditional stand-up scooter.
Riders should follow the same rules as traditional scooters and e-bikes and only ride the Cosmo scooters on the bike lanes, travel lanes or trails, but not on the sidewalk.
The Cosmo scooters join the electric-assist bikes and electric scooters that launched earlier this month. Shared bikes and scooters are available throughout the downtown and surrounding districts — MedQuarter, NewBo, Czech Village and Kingston Village — for short recreational rides or to close gaps in transportation.
How to use bike share
After downloading the VeoRide mobile app:
- Create an account.
- Scan the QR code on any scooter or bike — or enter the ID number — to begin ride.
- When finished, park in a designated green bike rack and submit a photo of correctly parked bike or scooter.
- The fare ends once riders lock the bike or click "end ride" on the scooter.
What it costs
The VeoRide app is free on any app provider. The app is where people make payments for their rides. Fares include:
- E-bikes: $1 to unlock, 20 cents per minute of use
- Traditional standup scooters: $1 to unlock, 29 cents per minute of use
- New sit-down scooters: $1 to unlock, 33 cents per minute of use.
Reminders
Scooters should be parked in any green bike rack or in the designated painted parking area on the sidewalk near bike racks.
Bikes, scooters or sit-down scooters and skateboards must be walked on sidewalks as they are not permitted to be ridden there. These may be ridden in bike lanes and bikes also may be used in full travel lanes.
Sidewalk decals and street signs indicate where riding on the sidewalk is not permitted.
To contact VeoRide, call (855) 836-2256 or email hello@veoride.com to report concerns. More information, including safety tips, also is available at cityofcr.com/bikeshare.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com
The Cosmo sit-down scooter from vendor VeoRide will be available through Cedar Rapids' bike share program. (Courtesy city of Cedar Rapids)
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