Denver City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee delayed a vote on the contract with the city’s new scooter operator for a simple reason: They didn’t have the contract yet.
“I just want to read contracts. It's my job,” Council President Amanda Sandoval said Wednesday. “The devils are in the details. That's what we vote on.”
The city’s micromobility team said the exclusive contract with Veo is ready, though it's unclear when the council will get access to it. The vote was pushed to April 1.
Veo, a micromobility company founded in 2017, will deploy its scooters and bikes in Denver this spring after winning its contract in December. Veo currently operates across a few dozen locations in the United States.
There will be five types of vehicles in Denver: a standing scooter, a seated scooter, a two-seater, a bike with a cargo space and a tricycle.
The contract would be a three-year agreement with a possible two-year extension.
Meanwhile, the city’s license agreements with Bird and Lime are set to expire in May. Lime and Bird have offered thousands of scooters and bikes in Denver for years. Lime and Bird first deployed scooter fleets without authorization in 2018, causing an uproar and prompting the city to confiscate hundreds of two-wheelers.
But many Lime users are mourning the loss
People wearing bright green shirts that said “Lime ❤️ Denver” poured into the committee meeting Wednesday.
Many were users of the Lime Access program, which offers discounted or free rides to low-income residents.
Lime Access had more than 18,000 users in Denver in 2025, according to Lime.
One person during public comment said the program allowed him to attend the birth of two of his grandchildren and keep a job outside RTD hours.
“Lime has positively impacted my life. It has made me a positive impact on my own life,” he said. “I do ask that you extend this program at least, very least, in the transition phase so that no one is left behind.”
Lime is also asking for a longer transition period
“We’re asking for a transition contract for at least 12-18 months to ensure a smooth, easy transition for the entire city but especially for Lime Access riders, many of whom will absolutely fall through the cracks for weeks or months if this abrupt shift goes through as planned,” said Zach Williams, Lime’s regional head of government relations, in a statement. “Building a new equity program of this size and scale is not going to happen just telling Denver’s most vulnerable riders to download a new app.”
The city said that access riders won’t be affected by the change and will be able to use Veo scooters immediately in a similar program.
From two vendors to one
Some attendees were excited about the new company coming in — in part because it’s just one company. Elle Baker, who serves on the Downtown Neighborhood Association Pedestrian Safety Committee, said that two vendors can lead to some confusion.
“During nearly two years of working with the current two-vendor structure, we've repeatedly seen challenges. It creates two apps to report problems to companies responsible when sidewalks are blocked and two technology systems implementing policies differently,” Baker said. “And when something goes wrong, it's often unclear where the accountability actually sits.”
Last year, the council passed legislation that aimed to stop the scooters from being ridden or parked on city sidewalks.
