AURORA | The lime-green and yellow bikes that once peppered Aurora schools, sidewalks, and sometimes private property are being pulled off the streets, but they could be replaced by snazzy electric scooters.
Both LimeBike and Ofo, two private bike share companies that brought their dockless bike system to Aurora last year, are taking their bikes out of the city, said Aurora Senior Transportation Planner Tom Worker-Braddock.
Unlike docked bike sharing models, such as Denver’s Bcycle, LimeBike, Ofo and JUMP bikes can be parked on any public property. Users connect to smartphone apps to find bikes in the area.
Worker-Braddock said both companies are taking their biking business out the Aurora, although they might continue offering their bikes at limited sites, such as the Denver University campus.
LimeBike and Ofo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Worker-Braddock said Aurora is open to approving replacements for LimeBike and Ofo.
A spokesperson for Uber JUMP Bike, a new competitor, said the company does not have plans to expand from Denver into Aurora.
Aurorans looking for a quick ride could have a different opportunity to cruise in style later this year. City officials hope to begin the process of authorizing electric scooters from brands LimeBike and Bird, which have become popular in downtown Denver, as soon as October.
Worker-Braddock said the scooters might be more sought after than bikes.
When LimeBike arrived in Aurora last fall, it caught the attention of local officials and residents looking for sustainable and cheap transportation options .
“When I first came to visit Aurora in March, LimeBikes were everywhere,” Worker-Braddock said. “Most of the time, there was no problem with the program.”
Aurora Police Department spokesperson Ken Forrest agrees, although the police received some reports of neglected or improperly placed bikes. “People sometimes won’t take care of things that aren’t theirs,” he said.
He presumes that both companies looked to establish a foothold in the metro area but struggled with permitting in places like Denver, which pushed against the bike-share companies. Each city must establish its own permitting protocols for bike sharing programs, which put Aurorans near city borders in an awkward position. For example, riders in Stapleton would find their bikes would lock up when biking into Denver.