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Bikes and scooters popular alternatives but concerns about safety on the rise

lime scooter

Many people in Washington, D.C. said this week they opt for bikes and scooters instead of traditional mass transit options like the bus and Metro because of efficiency and fun, but some say they are worried about safety.

There is a growing trend for those in the district to rent scooters from Lime a company that says it provides “easier and less expensive” options in comparison to competitors. Another popular company to use is Capital Bikeshare, which offers bikes for a minimum of $2 and 30 minutes.

lime scooter
A teenager rides a Lime scooter at American University in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Margot Susca.)

Kenny Fridie, 16, who was renting a Lime scooter in Tenleytown on Tuesday, said that he uses these scooter about three times a week because he doesn’t have his driver’s permit. He thinks young people are drawn to using these public scooters because they cannot drive yet.

When asked why she uses bikes or scooters instead of more conventional methods of transportation, Lara Fife, 40, thinks they are “more efficient.” 

Cole Wrampelmeier, 30, who was waiting for the bus outside Wawa, said he rents scooters because it is “more fun and faster” than other transportation.

Others interviewed disagree and think it’s unsafe to ride a bike or scooter around Washington, D.C.

Darleen Wilkinson, 52, who was also waiting for the bus, only takes mass transportation options because “that’s all I know.”

Rishi Sangar, 38, said he would start to use bikes or scooters if they became safer for him on the street.

“Generally people don’t stop, don’t see you and run lights,” Sangar said.

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Bike share views mixed as Metro renovations go on

Washington, D.C residents and workers reacted to bike shares and other mass transportation options this month as the WMATA’s billion-dollar repair and renovation work continues.

Derrick Jefferson, 45, originally from California and works as a librarian at American University, has lived in the district for 5 years. He says that he is a “big advocate for public transportation,” and he likes the different types of transportation options in the district, although he feels it could be better implemented.

Lailah Johnson, 18, from Washington D.C., believes that the dock-less bikes are efficient because “you don’t have to walk to a dock station, which may not be close to where you live, to get a bike.”

She says that the dock-less bikes are “cool” because you can just locate the closest one through an app. She never felt like they were in the way. She likes the fact that “you don’t ever have to buy it, you can just rent it for not as much money.”

Without the bikes or the metro she wont have a way to get around.

A woman takes the Metro at the Tenleytown station on Monday, June 25. Photo by Nia Cain.

Madison Childs, 17, from Washington, D.C., thinks that the dock-less bikes are “a waste of money,” she says they are good for the environment but she wouldn’t recommend them to a friend.

She doesn’t think the bikes are in the way and said they are a “cleaner way of transportation and a great way to get exercise, which is needed in America.” She prefers walking.

Liliana King, 22, recently graduated from American University and says she relies on the Metro. If her train line was closed she wouldn’t really know how to get around.

Reginald Dickens, 17, believes that the dock-less bikes are a good alternative for people if their Metro line was shut down due to repairs.

But he personally thinks that the bikes are inconvenient because, “If the bikes are not in your neighborhood you’re out of luck.”