Lincoln City Council approved a permanent e-scooter program (ScooterLNK) on March 21, 2022 after a successful 16-month pilot program. The official ScooterLNK program started on October 4, 2022 and will operate with two vendors, Lime and Bird, selected through the City’s procurement process.
Download app (Lime or Bird) Apps require a credit/debit/prepaid card number to register.
Scan QR Code Select “ride” then scan the QR code between the handlebars of the e-scooter.
Ride & Park Find an appropriate parking spot and submit photo to document e-scooter return.
Watch: How to Ride ScooterLNK (1:53)
For more information on how to ride, see Rules and Frequently Asked Questions.
E-scooters participating in the City’s ScooterLNK program are only allowed to operate within the areas shown on the map.
Lime Access provides discounted fares to qualifying riders in the United States, and access to Lime e-scooters for people without smartphones or credit cards. To qualify, an individual must demonstrate participation in an eligible local, state or federal public benefits program.
For riders without a smartphone, please text 415-463-3473 to unlock an e-scooter and follow the prompts.
The pilot saw over 91,000 trips taken on e-scooters by over 25,000 unique users. The high number of trips and users demonstrates how e-scooters were used as a valid form of transportation. This is further exemplified by the 21% of users who indicated that an e-scooter trip replaced a car trip. The ScooterLNK program will continue to provide reliable, safe, and accessible micromobility transportation options to Lincoln residents and visitors while contributing to Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan goal of having a decarbonized transportation system.
The City of Lincoln requires vendors to provide a sanitation plan in order to operate within city limits. The following plans illustrate the precautions being taken to ensure electric scooters are ready for use in a healthy manner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before riding an e-scooter, know the operating rules:
After riding an e-scooter, know the parking rules:
Park electric scooters the correct way in the following areas:
In City-designated parking areas and corrals
“P” and 8th streets
“P” and Canopy streets
“Q” and 7th streets
“R” and 7th streets
“R” and 8th streets
“R” and 13th streets
“R” Street and Nebraska Union
16th and “S” streets
17th Street and Knoll Residence Hall
16th and “W” streets
Within the furniture/landscape area of the City sidewalk like next to bicycle racks, trash cans or flowerpots
Allow at least 4-feet of usable pedestrian walking space around the e-scooter at all times
The City of Lincoln has established city ordinances that must be followed by both the users and the vendors. LMC Chapter 5.52 Shared Mobility Devices
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The ScooterLNK Program map(PDF, 5MB) shows the boundaries of the e-scooter program.
E-scooters are not allowed to be ridden on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
E-scooters will come to a slow stop when riders go outside of the operating area.
E-scooters are allowed to operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Users will not be able to start any trips outside of that operating window. E-scooters will not be available during UNL Husker football home game days.
A user must download the vendor’s app (Lime or Bird) and enter into a rental agreement. Both Lime and Bird apps requires users to enter a credit/debit/prepaid card number to register and enable the rider to rent an e-scooter.
Available e-scooters will be shown on maps within the app. To rent an e-scooter, the user will tap on a “ride” button on the app and then scan the QR code located between the handlebars of the e-scooters. To scan QR codes, riders need to open their camera on their phone and point it at the QR code.
To end a ride, the user must find an appropriate parking spot. The ride will end when the rider takes a photo documenting the proper parking location.
E-scooters are only allowed to be ridden on the street or in on-street bike facilities like bike lanes, including the N-Street Cycle Track in the downtown area. Just like the restriction that has been in place for bicycles, e-scooters are not allowed to be ridden on downtown Lincoln sidewalks.
E-scooters are not allowed to be ridden on roadways with speeds of 35 MPH or greater.
E-scooters can be parked within street furniture and landscape like bicycle racks, trash cans or flowerpots.
E-scooters can also be parked along the side of buildings as along as they are not blocking entryways or exists.
E-scooters must also be parked within the City right-of-way, leaving room for pedestrians to walk by (must leave at least 4-feet of space for pedestrians).
E-scooters are not allowed to be parked on private property.
City-designated parking areas and corrals:
If an e-scooter is knocked over, parked incorrectly, found in a prohibited area or damaged/inoperable, the public should call or email the e-scooter vendor below:
People can also use UPLNK to report non-emergency, quality-of-life issues within the Lincoln City limits, including any e-scooter related issues.
To ensure that riders are following the rules, LTU will actively cooperate and coordinate with the Lincoln Police Department (LPD). Initially, the City is handling enforcement by giving out warnings and educating riders that riding on the sidewalks is not allowed in Downtown Lincoln. After an initial introduction phase, if police have evidence that someone has violated City code, the rider or vendor could be cited. Possible penalties for violating the code are up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or a combination of both fine and jail.
The City is also conducting targeted communication efforts and has an active social media education campaign currently running on the correct ways to ride and park e-scooters in Lincoln. These targeted communication efforts focus heavily on the improper use of e-scooters, sidewalk violations and improper parking.
The City of Lincoln requires the e-scooter vendors to provide sanitation plans in order to operate. When e-scooters are picked up to recharge overnight, they are sanitized before being deployed for use the following day. Overall, the City encourages users to follow CDC guidelines and wash their hands before and after riding an e-scooter.
Scooter Sanitation Guidelines (Lime)(PDF, 2MB)