Dockless Bike-Share Launches In Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA – Dockless bike-share vendor Lime launched its service in Arlington Thursday as part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's regional program. Arlington is the fifth city to launch Lime since April.

The vendor is one of two companies selected to provide dock-free service in 15 communities in metro Boston, including Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Needham, Newton, Revere, Waltham, Watertown and Winthrop. Lime launched in Watertown on Friday.

"Lime is thrilled to bring our dock-free smart bikes to Arlington and Watertown. Many of the communities north of Boston have now added our affordable, green transportation option for everyone to enjoy," Scott Mullen, Lime Director of Expansion, New England, said in a statement. "Our expansion complements the Emerald Network, a growing system of off-road bike paths connecting communities, and allows stress-free travel throughout the region. The Arlington and Watertown paths will soon be joined through the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway– a critical piece of the broader network."

Lime currently operates in over 70 markets and is the largest shared bike and scooter provider in the United States. Over 4 million rides have taken place on the Lime platform since the company's launch a year ago, Lime said in a press release.

It is the only multimodal provider to offer electric scooters, electric bikes, and classic manual pedal bikes. The entire Lime fleet is GPS and 3G-enabled, making it simple for riders to find, unlock and pick up a nearby bike or scooter using their smartphone. When the ride is finished, riders simply end the ride with the Lime mobile app and responsibly park by the street curb or at a bike rack.

"Dockless bike sharing brings another transportation option to residents that offers both convenience and a method to reduce one’s carbon footprint," Arlington Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine said in a statement. "As this new program grows we hope to find cost-efficient means to expand the region."

Learn how Lime works: https://www.limebike.com/how-to-lime. The free Lime mobile app can be downloaded from the GooglePlay store or the Apple App Store. To receive $5 credit to try LimeBikes, new riders can use promo code: LIMELAUNCH.

Photo by Tim Moran, Patch