KCRag Forum

gfenn11 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:31 pm Lime pulled out of the market until Spring. All staff at the warehouse were laid off unexpectedly.

Not all...

Is part of the reason they shut down because of the end of the pilot and needing to reapply for whatever this next phase is KCMO keep advertising?

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:22 pm Is part of the reason they shut down because of the end of the pilot and needing to reapply for whatever this next phase is KCMO keep advertising?

Interim process could last up to six months. Lime launched in September.

These VC-backed scooter companies are burning through lots of cash, and investors are getting skittish.

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:22 pm Is part of the reason they shut down because of the end of the pilot and needing to reapply for whatever this next phase is KCMO keep advertising?

No. Ridership tanked when the temps really dropped. They also entirely lost out on any revenue for two days on/after the blizzard since they did what was required in the agreement (unlike Bird) and did not deploy scooters until sidewalks and streets were "cleared".

So they lost out on revenue that wasn't there (as it was cold those days)?

I mean I totally understand these companies putting away the scooters in the winter.....I was just wondering if the current KCMO process impacted them too.

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Tue Dec 11, 2018 6:59 pmI mean I totally understand these companies putting away the scooters in the winter.....I was just wondering if the current KCMO process impacted them too.

Clearly the caps and fees aren't helping their profitability.

I also wonder if they are annoyed about the council directing their fees toward "housing" instead of scooter infrastructure. Those hearings were bizarre. The Lime rep sat down and said explicitly, we are giving you these monies with the understanding that it is spent on regulating the scooters and building infrastructure related to the scooters, however we don't have a position on your current housing use proposal. Then, the council people said thanks for your input and completely ignored them.

I tweeted the same before reading your post but I agree it has to be factored in.

Spending those fees on mobility infrastructure makes their scooters more desirable and hence more palatable.

I would anticipate an Uber-style preemption bill is introduced in the next legislative session, perhaps in Kansas too. KCMO will likely be stripped of its ability to charge fees other than for cost recovery.

Directing the money toward affordable housing probably makes it more likely that we will be preempted, imo. Putting tax money toward helping the business that we are taxing would play better in a conservative legislature.

As for Lime and Bird, if I were them, I would lobby for a preemtion bill and them give money to the city specifically for bike lane projects.

Birds were back out today after about a week (?) with none due to the weather.

I thought I saw some earlier this week or maybe it was last week prior to the Saturday storm?

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2019 11:21 pm I thought I saw some earlier this week or maybe it was last week prior to the Saturday storm?

I'm sure it was before the storm. I've been checking.

Bird is setting up a form of franchising to allow 3rd party operators including city entities. Given RideKC is operating ebikes now would RideKC take on operating scooters?

https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/7/18253 ... in-america

earthling wrote: ↑Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:59 am Bird is setting up a form of franchising to allow 3rd party operators including city entities. Given RideKC is operating ebikes now would RideKC take on operating scooters?

https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/7/18253 ... in-america

The Drop/BikeWalkKC pilot we've lent the RideKC brand to will include "lock-to" scooters this Spring. No need to mess with Bird and their reputation yet.

Bird appears to have a new cage, effective today:



Also, Lyft (yes, that Lyft -- they bought Motivate bike share last year) is testing scooter corrals in DC:

^^The cage was up when I tried to ride this past weekend.

did you try and break out?

Prices per minute have doubled in KC, and many other cities. Other companies will likely follow.

Mine is still $0.15/minute.