Gliding around Sarasota: An e-scooter and bike sharing service is coming to the city

SARASOTA -- Residents and visitors will soon be able to use a sharing service to zip around in the city on a bike or scooter.

The City Commission approved a contract on Tuesday with Chicago-based VeoRide Inc. to provide scooters and bikes that customers can ride for a price. The city expects the service to begin in early March.  

Veo will offer both seated e-scooters and standing e-scooters. The company will also offer traditional bikes and pedal assist e-bikes.   

More transportation news:Pedestrian fatalities rising in Sarasota County, statewide numbers are worse

In other news:Sarasota won't sell any of Thorpe Park; no food court will be built

The vehicles are “locked” in one location until a customer logs onto the Veo app and “unlocks” the vehicle. Sarasota customers will pay $1 to unlock a scooter and then 37 cents for every minute they use it. Bikes, on other hand, are free to unlock and cost 50 cents for every 30-minute interval.

Veo also has a discounted rate for individuals whose incomes are at 200% of the federal poverty limit or who qualify for federal assistance programs.

Customers will be able to park the bikes and scooters in designated areas called “corrals.” However, not all areas of the city will have corrals, so customers who ride a vehicle to one of those areas will be able to park it on sidewalks or driveways. They can’t park their vehicle in the middle of a sidewalk, though.

“We’re overjoyed to be bringing these convenient, safe and cost-effective transportation options to Sarasota,” Mayor Erik Arroyo said in a press release. “Having a micro-mobility program will help fill in the gaps in our transportation network for first-mile and last-mile trips to help our citizens get where they want and need to go. I’m looking forward to this transformative and successful partnership with Veo.” 

Veo operates in more than 35 cities around the country, including St. Petersburg and Gainesville.

“Our goal at Veo is develop collaborative, long-term partnerships with cities, like Sarasota, to work together to create a sustainable, safe, and equitable transportation future,” said Candice Xie, Veo’s CEO, in the news release. “Sarasota is a fantastic market for residents as well as tourists and Veo e-scooters and bikes provide eco-friendly options that fill the gap between mass transit, passenger vehicles, and walking.” 

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com or (941) 228-3321 and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.