A person carries groceries on a bike and shows off a helmet with a Vision Zero sticker. Photo: SDOT. Blog stats: 900 words | 4-minute read
At-a-glance:
- This blog post features great ways to get moving with bike share, scooter share, or your own equipment, and important reminders to keep you and everyone safe when you ride.
- Click the links below to drop down to a specific section:
- For more information, check out our Bike Everywhere Month kick-off post.
Lighter days and clearer weather are finally upon us, and we’re ready to ride – join us with these tips, tools, and resources to get you rolling in the right direction.
How to use scooter and bike share
Interested in trying one of Seattle’s scooter or bike share options for the first time, but not sure where to start? Look no further than our website, which has all the guidance and details you need to get going.
We also participate in a variety of events to offer help to people new to scooter and bike share equipment. Check out our full community events calendar for details. These events are a great place for people to try out the equipment and learn to ride with support.
We encourage any new riders to practice riding in a low-stress, low-traffic, and low-urgency environment for their initial rides until they feel comfortable riding in busier places.
Safety resources and videos
Visit our website for a full list of safety tips and important reminders. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to travel safely and be aware of your surroundings while riding.
In addition to the tips listed there, check out a few of our safety videos with our SpokesSalmon, Sal.
While it’s important for people scooting and biking to stay alert and aware of their surroundings, everyone needs to make this a priority, including people driving. Here are a few safety tips for drivers that apply year-round.
To help keep everyone safe, please put your phone away, slow down, and be aware of all travelers in your vicinity – including people walking, rolling, biking, and scooting.
Wearing a helmet
Helmets are a proven safety measure that can help protect you in the event of a crash. We encourage you to wear a helmet when you ride scooter or bike share.
We distribute free helmets at a number of community events alongside our micromobility partners, as well as at 6 Seattle Customer Service Centers: Ballard, Lake City, University, Central, Southwest, and Southeast. Visit our website for the details or see this community events calendar for a full list of times and locations.
How to park correctly
Please do your part and park your scooter or bike in an appropriate, out of the way location at the end of your ride. This helps keep the sidewalk clear and accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities or other mobility challenges. Visit our website for more detailed guidance.
When parking, please DO:
- Park the scooter or bike upright at a bike rack, bike corral, or in the area with trees, poles, and other fixtures towards the curb (sometimes called the ‘furniture zone’)
- Leave at least six feet clear for pedestrians to pass
Please do NOT park:
- At or in curb ramps, a corner/intersection, or in driveways
- Within designated no-parking zones that are highlighted in the map in the app you’re using
- Within bus stops
- In front of building doors, benches, parking pay stations, fire hydrants, recycling/garbage bins, and dumpsters
- On private property or in a place that’s hidden
Discounted fare program
Interested in riding, but the cost is a barrier to you? You may qualify for programs set up to help.
If you have ORCA LIFT, the Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP), or Apple Health (Medicaid), or receive discounted utilities, discounted housing, or nutritional assistance (e.g. SNAP), you likely qualify for rides at a reduced cost.
Visit our website for all the details.
2023 ridership overview
Did you know that in 2023 alone, Seattle saw around 4.9 million trips on scooter share and bike share? That’s more than 13,000 trips per day on average! Way to ride, Seattle!
If you want to dig into the data on your own, check out our website and interactive ridership tool.
In conclusion
We hope you find biking and scooting around town as exciting, fun, and useful as we do, and we hope to see you out there in the weeks and months ahead.
Thanks for your time reading these tips to ensure you and everyone have a safe trip. Please enjoy the rest of Bike Everywhere Month!