City of Minneapolis authorizes Bird, Lyft scooters to return

Close-up of logo for ridesharing company Lyft on vertical bar of a micromobility sharing economy electric scooter in Oakland, California, July 12, 2019. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Motorized scooters are returning to Minneapolis streets this summer, the city announced Thursday.

Bird and Lyft will be the two authorized scooter operators. Between the two companies, a maximum of 2,500 scooters will be allowed city-wide, with a maximum of 1,000 allowed downtown.

750 scooters must be distributed in north, northeast and south Minneapolis, which the city said are concentrated poverty areas.

The agreement goes through March 31, 2021.

Scooter riders have to follow bicyclist traffic laws. They are not allowed on sidewalks and they must be locked to a public bike rack or municipal signpost unless they are left at designated scooter parking zones.

The city is also requiring the companies to provide low-income pricing options and have alternative access options for people who don’t have smartphones or requires a cash payment option.