Columbus, OH Adopting New, More Profitable eBike and eScooter Rental Program

Electric bike (eBike) and electric scooter (eScooter) rentals are a fast-growing industry, all across America. Columbus, Ohio is solving a problem it’s having with abandoned rental eBikes and eScooters, and making these rentals more profitable for the city at the same time.

The city of Columbus, Ohio’s contract with Lyft to operate the CoGo Bike Share program is coming to an end, and the city has decided to contract with VeoRide for the next phase of the bike and electric scooter rental service. Starting next year, VeoRide will provide a range of bikes and electric scooters for rent throughout the city. As part of this transition, Columbus will also allow the annual permits for the three electric scooter rental companies currently operating—Bird, Lime, and Spin—to expire without renewal.

The city is aiming for a mid- to late March launch for the new Veo bike and e-scooter program. In addition to the new offerings, Columbus plans to introduce bikes with greater cargo capacity and sit-down electric scooters later in the year. This shift reflects the city’s effort to expand and diversify its shared mobility options.

Veo will operate a range of traditional bicycles, e-bikes, and both standing and seated scooters as part of its new rental program in Columbus. The company will implement a “hybrid parking system” aimed at keeping these devices out of the way, addressing one of the city’s key concerns.

According to Justin Goodwin, Columbus’ mobility and parking division administrator, a primary goal of the new system is to resolve recurring issues related to devices blocking sidewalks and ADA ramps. This initiative is designed to improve the overall user experience and ensure that mobility devices are parked in a way that maintains clear and accessible pathways for pedestrians.

In 2024, scooter usage in Columbus far outpaced CoGo bike usage, with approximately 65,000 CoGo bike rides compared to around 915,000 scooter rides across all vendors, according to Goodwin.

Financially, the city is looking to turn its previous expenses into a revenue-generating initiative. The CoGo bike stations became a significant cost, with the city paying $65 per month per dock for a system that expanded to over 1,300 docks, totaling about $1 million annually. Additionally, the city saw minimal revenue from scooter permits, which cost $500 per company, along with a $75 fee per scooter device operating in the city.

Under the new agreement with Veo, the company will pay annual device fees and share revenue from rides within the city. While the exact terms of the deal are still being finalized, Goodwin estimates that the city will earn at least six figures annually from the new program. The revenue generated will be reinvested into the maintenance and development of parking infrastructure for the devices and the overall management of the program.

The Columbus City Council also approved its Bike Plus plan, calling for adding 189 miles of on-street bikeways, 270 miles of shared-use paths, and 28 miles of urban trails and greenways.

Sharing revenue with cities, while working toward solving the abandonment problem which blocks sidewalks and walkways, could be a transformative new paradigm for eBike and eScooter rentals in America’s cities.