Denver issues permits to five dockless electric scooter companies and three dockless bike companies

Lime, Bird and three other dockless electric scooter companies have been issued permits to operate within the city of Denver.

The scooters are expected to be back on the streets starting this Friday, nearly two months after the city ordered them gone and began confiscating and issuing fines.

The other companies to receive permits — which are one-year, revocable permits as part of a pilot program — are Lyft, Spin and Razor. Three dockless bike companies have received permits, too. Here's the full list, per Denver Public Works, including fleet size and expected deployment dates:

Other applications in the bike category are still under review.

Denver Public Works has also shared these rules for parking dockless vehicles:

1. Do not block the movements of pedestrians and always provide 5 feet clear width.
2. Park adjacent to transit stops when available and at least 1.5 feet from the back of curb/flowline.
3. Preserve pedestrian sight triangles at intersections, alleys, and driveways as well as to bus/LRT operations at stops.
4. Vehicles should be upright when parked.
5. Vehicles shall not impede access to utilities, or access from the street to the sidewalk.
6. At least 8 feet of clear walkway shall be provided for all sidewalks on arterial streets.
7. Additional clear width may be required in high pedestrian areas, as determined by DPW.
8. Park in painted dockless parking areas, when available.

Just yesterday, the Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure committee heard a presentation from Public Works on the Dockless Mobility Vehicles Pilot Program, and there are still some big concerns about how the scooters and bikes will operate safely and achieve the city's mobility goals. You can read more about that here.