DENVER — Will they or won't they? That's the big question when it comes to the future of Lyft's dockless bikes and scooters in Denver.
On Wednesday, the rideshare giant announced it would be pulling scooters from Washington D.C. at the start of October.
The decision comes after the company released a memo in early September that said the company was looking to narrow its "product portfolio to focus on our best-in-class bikes and ebikes, scooters, electrified docking stations, and software, to better sell to, serve, and electrify cities."
The company went on to say this meant it would "no longer operate standalone dockless bikes and scooters. We are discontinuing our dockless scooters in Washington, D.C., and are exploring alternatives for our dockless bikes and scooters in Denver."
"Well, I like to bike a lot, and I found myself traveling to different conferences, different cities and stuff, and I saw them very available," said Victor Pulido, who started frequently using Lyft's dockless bikes and scooters years ago.
Pulido told Denver7 that the form of transportation gave him the ability to explore cities like Denver more easily.
"I think it does that local communities and businesses a lot of good," Pulido said. "I don't know if I would walk from my hotel to here, but I surely would take a Lyft and check the shops out and stuff like that."
That's why Pulido was surprised to hear Lyft was "exploring alternatives" to them.
"I'm not sure why they would want to do that. I don't know if it's a business model thing or not for you, it's always been a plus," he said.
It's a sentiment Braejon Spikes, another frequent scooter rider in Denver, shares.
"I mean, it just doesn't make any sense because they're more convenient than waiting for RTD or a bus. Do you know what I mean?" he said.
There are nearly 3,000 Lyft scooters in Denver and another nearly 600 bikes, according to the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).
While not all of the bikes are dockless — meaning some would remain unimpacted should Lyft decide to rid Denver of them — DOTI said it wants to try and keep this form of transportation available.
In a statement, the city department said it has "not yet had a discussion on next steps with Lyft and will work to minimize impacts to users as we chart a path forward."
Full statement:
We're aware that Lyft has stated it is narrowing its product portfolio and will no longer operate standalone dockless bikes and scooters. What that means for Denver has yet to be determined, but given the popularity of micromobility in the Mile High City and our interest in alternative transportation, we'd like to ensure that scooters and e-bikes remain a viable travel option for our residents and visitors.
We have not yet had a discussion on next steps with Lyft and will work to minimize impacts to users as we chart a path forward. We’ll share more information with the media and public as it becomes available.
The path forward for Lyft's dockless bikes and scooters is still murky, with potential bumps in the road if Lyft does decide to pull those assets from Denver.
Denver7 reached out to Lyft for comment on what "alternatives" to dockless bikes and scooters it's exploring but did not hear back.
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