How to Use Scooter Share and Bike Share

Scooter share and bike share let you rent electric foot scooters and electric bikes for quick errands, trips to Link light rail, climate-friendly commute trips, and more. You rent the nearest available scooter or bike, ride it to where you want to go, and leave it responsibly parked for the next person to ride.

Resources for riding in Seattle...

If you are looking for our data dashboard, open datasets, permitting information, or other information related to scooter share and bike share program management, please see this page: Scooter and Bike Share - Data and Permitting

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How to Rent a Scooter or Bike

Discounted Fares

Helmets

Safety

Parking

Report a Problem

Questions or Comments?

How do I rent shared e-scooters and e-bikes? 

You may see 2 different brands of electric scooters and 3 different brands of electric bikes on the streets of Seattle. Each is available for rental through a smart phone application by the company labeled on the scooter or bike. You can also rent without a smart phone (see below).

Download the apps for the scooters or bikes that you want to ride: 

If you do not have a smart phone, each company provides other ways to access bikes and scooters: 

People interacting with Veo scooter share staff at their booth at a Seattle community event

Sign up for discounted fares (if applicable):

If you have ORCA LIFT, the Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP), or Apple Health (Medicaid), or receive discounted utilities, discounted housing, or nutritional assistance (e.g. SNAP), you likely qualify for rides at a reduced cost. See the links below to sign up for each Vendor's program to save on rides.

How do I get a helmet?

  • Our micromobility partners and SDOT often distribute free helmets at community events. See this Seattle Community Events Calendar to find events where a limited number of helmets will be distributed at each event. Limit one helmet per person. Helmet sizes may be limited.
  • Our micromobility partners offer free or discounted helmets you can order:  
  • Access free helmets for adults at Seattle Customer Service Centers:

Black helmets on table in front of Bird scooters and people at a Seattle community event

What are some key tips for riding safely? 

  • Learn how the device works before you ride (throttle, brakes, lights, kick stand, etc.).
    • Check out our Community Events Calendar to find events where you can do free test rides with our shared micromobility vendors. 
  • Wear a helmet (see Helmets tab for info on how to get a helmet).
  • Ride in bike lanes or on multi-use paved trails whenever possible.  
  • If riding a scooter, avoid riding on sidewalks (S.M.C. 11.46.010).
  • Yield to pedestrians.
  • Slow down when it’s dark or rainy. 
  • Use your voice or the bell (on the bike or scooter) when passing.
  • Don’t ride in no-ride zones, such as parks, as shown in the app.
    • Riding into a no-ride zone will slow your scooter or bike to a stop. It will begin working again when you leave the no-ride zone.
  • Don’t ride on streets where the speed limit is over 25mph.
  • Only one person per scooter or bike.
  • Don’t scoot or bike while intoxicated.
  • Weather-Related Tips:
    • Ride cautiously in icy and/or snowy conditions.
    • Take extra care while riding on bridges/overpasses or shadowed areas that are first to freeze and last to melt.
    • Brake slowly, not suddenly.
    • Avoid riding on ice or deep snow whenever possible.
    • Avoid making sharp turns on ice.
    • Consider taking other means of transportation, such as transit, during icy and/or snowy conditions. 
        

Sal the Seattle SpokesSalmon, a salmon puppet, wearing a helmet and mask while riding a scooter share, with two other people riding scooters in the background

Where can I park scooters and bikes?

Do your part and park your scooter or bike in an appropriate, out of the way location at the end of your ride. 

  • Park the scooter or bike upright at a bike rack, bike corral, or in the area with trees, poles, and other fixtures towards the curb
  • Leave at least six feet clear for pedestrians to pass
  • See the image below for a visualization of where to park and watch Bike Share Parking: Do the Right Thing! for more parking tips

Where to Park Scooters and Bikes. An illustration of a cross section of a street. The sidewalk area is red, labeled "CLEAR ZONE," and has the description "Do not park." The area with the tree and scooter is in green, and said "PARK SCOOTERS AND BIKES HERE." The area in green is between the sidewalk area and the road.

Badly parked scooters and bikes can cause problems for people getting around on our sidewalks, especially if they're rolling in a wheelchair, or are blind or have low vision. Improperly parking shared scooters and bikes could result in an additional $20 fee tacked onto your ride.  

Do not park: 

  • At curb ramps, a corner/intersection, or in driveways  
  • Within designated no-parking zones that are highlighted in the map in the app you’re using 
  • Within bus stops
  • In City of Seattle parks
  • In front of building doors, benches, parking pay stations, fire hydrants, recycling/garbage bins, and dumpsters
  • On private property or in a place that’s hidden 

How do I report a problem? 

Where can I direct my questions or comments?

Contact the Seattle Department of Transportation by emailing scootershare@seattle.gov or bikeshare@seattle.gov or calling (206) 684-7623.

Transportation

Greg Spotts, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.