Electric-assist bike company Veo joins Seattle's bike share fleet

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced last week the inclusion of Veo in the city's bike share program, adding a second vendor after a successful first partnership with Lime.

Veo joins Lime in providing electric-assisted bicycles that smartphone users can rent digitally.

With the company's respective app, users simply link a payment method to check out a bike and return it to a designated, safe area at the end of their ride. The electric-assisted motors can help users of all physical abilities tackle Seattle's steep hills with the power assist button on the handlebars.

Seattle's bike and scooter share programs have provided options for locals to travel quickly throughout the city without a car, easing traffic congestion. According to SDOT, there have been nearly 2.9 million bike share trips taken in the city since 2019, and 9.8 million miles traveled on a bike share bike.

SDOT also estimates that 2.2 million miles have been traveled on city streets using the scooter share program. Added together with bike share miles, that's 12 million miles traveled. SDOT did the math and found that this is the same as circling the Earth 482 times or traveling from Earth to the moon 50 times. So clearly, the transportation share programs in Seattle are popular.

The city has several rules that bike share participants must follow when checking out of their ride. Bikes and scooters must be parked on the outer edge of the sidewalk near trees, poles or other fixtures so as not to interfere with foot traffic. Public bike parking spaces or bike racks are also good spots. 

Parking is not permitted on corners, driveways or curb ramps and you cannot block access to buildings, benches, parking pay stations, but stops, hydrants or anything of the like. The bike or scooter must also be parked upright.

SDOT encourages users to use their proper judgment and do the right thing, asking for bikes and scooters not to be parked in anybody's way or somewhere that the next user wouldn't be able to find it.

Veo provides discounted rates to people with lower incomes using the Veo Access program, supporting their mission to bring mobility services to everyone. More details can be found on the program's website.

If you're ready to ride, sign up on Veo's website or check out SDOT's bike share page to learn more.