The bike and scooter-share company, Lime, saw 6 million rides in its first year, the Verge reported. Lime launched last June in Greensboro, N.C., and in the last year has expanded to over 70 cities.
Lime announced earlier this month that it would receive $335 million in investments from Uber and Alphabet, Inc. As part of the partnership with Uber, the company is working to make the electric scooters available for use through the ride-sharing app.
According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, in the last year, the number of bikes from bike share companies doubled to 100,000, with 44% of them being dockless bikes that can be unlocked for use with a smartphone app.
The dockless bike option for transportation is a cheaper way to get around. According to Lime, bike-sharing costs 80% less than owning a car, and paired with public transportation, is an efficient way to get around in a city. But it’s also caused problems in some places.
In San Francisco, for example, the Verge reported that some electric scooters were often left in the middle of the sidewalk, and even in the Bay itself. However, while they were in use in that city, Lime recorded 300,000 scooter rides, according to TechCrunch.
Lime’s partnership with Uber has also prompted ride-share competitor, Lyft, to pursue similar ventures. The company says it is investing in local nonprofits to provide more transportation options to low-income areas, Travelers Today reported.
