Lime and the U.S. city of San José have launched a pilot to detect and reduce e-scooter sidewalk riding. The pilot is the first in any e-scooter market worldwide, and will be implemented throughout downtown San José.
For every ride, Lime will collect accelerometer and speed data. From this data, it’s able to discern with up to 95% accuracy when a rider is riding on a sidewalk instead of the street.
If a trip has been completed where more than 50% of the ride was detected to occur on a sidewalk, users will receive a push notification.
Nick Shapiro, Lime’s Head of Trust and Safety, says: “We began developing sidewalk detection over a year ago as a commitment to the safety of the communities we quickly became a part of. We know that micromobility can only be successful if riders and communities feel safe, and at Lime, we’re dedicated to advancing safety for all.”
EV Ellington, Lime’s Northern California General Manager, adds: “We are excited to leverage the data we collect to better understand when and where people are riding on sidewalks. Once we have that data in hand, we can share it with the City of San José and work on potential infrastructure improvements, such as protected bike lanes, to make riders and pedestrians feel safe.”
Sam Liccardo, San José Mayor, says: “This innovative approach enhances San José’s micromobility and pushes the entire industry to make it safer for scooters and pedestrians to equitably share our streets.”
In a recent survey, 52.2% of Lime riders ranked a protected bike lane as their number one choice for riding.
