Bellevue residents curious about the new fleet of e-scooters and e-bikes rolling through Downtown can meet the people behind them at a free community event Friday, Aug. 21, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Amazon Meadow, 600 108th Ave. NE.

The City of Bellevue and Lime are co-hosting the celebration to mark the return of shared micromobility to the city for the first time since 2019. Lime will hand out free helmets, answer rider questions and share resources alongside community mobility and transit partners, according to the Bellevue Downtown Association.

The event follows Lime's Aug. 10 launch of 500 devices across the city: 350 e-scooters, 100 seated gliders and 50 e-bikes. About 100 parking corrals have been placed around Bellevue for riders to dock their vehicles. The fleet could grow to 1,000 devices depending on ridership, Lime said.

"Our goal isn't to make it harder to drive your car," Parker Dawson, Lime's senior manager of government relations for the Northwest, said in a statement after the Aug. 10 launch. "We're here to make it easier for you to choose to take another mode of transportation, especially for those short trips within your neighborhood."

Lime first operated in Bellevue during a one-year pilot in 2018. The return was delayed by pandemic shutdowns and the need for a city code update, which Bellevue completed in 2025 to allow a shared vendor to run both e-bikes and e-scooters. Dawson pointed to growing local interest: Lime recorded 83 app opens per day in Bellevue in 2025, up 8% from 2024 and 73% from 2023.

All devices are speed-capped at 15 mph and equipped with GPS tracking and onboard cameras. Riders must be at least 18. Helmets are required for e-bike riders and strongly encouraged for scooter riders, KOMO News reported. Sidewalk riding is allowed only when no other safe route exists, and riders must yield to pedestrians.

Safety remains a regional concern. Harborview Medical Center treated 252 people for e-bike or e-scooter injuries in 2025, up from 77 in 2021, and six patients died from their injuries that year. Those figures cover all devices regionwide, not just shared rentals in Bellevue.

Lime also offers two affordability programs: Lime Access, which provides discounted rides for SNAP and Medicaid recipients, and Lime Prime, a $5.99-per-month subscription that waives unlock fees. In fall 2026, riders will be able to earn discounts when their trip ends near a light rail station or transit center.

Amazon Meadow, a 1.75-acre public green space that opened in April 2026, sits adjacent to the Bellevue Transit Center and features native plantings and a permanent art installation by Oliver Jeffers. As we reported July 30, the heaviest use is expected near Bellevue Square and the Spring District.