Getting Around Streets, Sidewalks, Sewers, and Utilities

Travel through Berkeley on shared electric bikes, scooter

New app-based services offer an alternative to driving by letting you get the electric device near you, ride to your destination on roads or bike lanes, and park at a bike rack near your destination.

Published:

May 24, 2022

Last Updated:

July 6, 2023

Berkeleyans have more options to move through and around Berkeley with shared electric bike and scooter services provided by three private companies.

Riders 18 and older can take low-cost, short trips using the shared scooters and bikes, ride on roads or bike lanes, and park them at any public bike rack near their destination.

Electric scooters and bikes join docked bike-share and one-way vehicle share as City Council-established options established for Berkeleyans to take sustainable one-way local trips that increase mobility.

These services reduce congestion created by vehicles, provide alternatives to car ownership, and create ways to move around Berkeley while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They also eliminate a critical barrier to mass transit by helping people move the “last mile” from where they live to their eventual destination.

These options allow you to move around Berkeley sustainably without the worries of gas, repairs, parking, and theft that come with owning your own transportation, especially a car. Shared devices are used more and parked less.

Using the shared scooters and bikes

Each of the three companies has its own app and set of devices. You can choose to rent a traditional standing scooter, a more accessible seated scooter, or an electric bicycle. It costs $1.00 to unlock a device, and $0.36-$0.39 per minute to ride, depending on the operator.

To use a shared electric scooter or bike, download the app and create an account:

Veoride (250 standing and 250 seated scooters)
Link (250 standing and 50 seated scooters)

When you create an account, you will go through safety training to cover the basic rules, including not riding on sidewalks and following local traffic laws. Helmets are encouraged. Once you have completed the onboarding, you can use the app at any time to find a scooter or bike near you, use it to get to your destination, and lock it at any public bike rack for the next user.

Lock devices to bicycle racks

When you end your ride, lock the scooter or bike to a public bicycle rack for the next person to use. Please make sure that the device is not blocking the sidewalk, parking meters, or private property.

If you find a device that is improperly parked, reach out to the 24/7 customer service contact printed on the device:

Veoride: (855) 836-2256, BKLOps@veoride.com
Link: (844) 701-8163, Oakland_ops@link.city

Operators must remove improperly parked devices within three hours of receiving a complaint from the public.

Discounts for low-income riders

Low-income riders can apply for discounted rides. Learn more through each operator’s website:

Veoride Access: For $5 a year, pay no unlock fees and ride free for 30 min per day. After that, pay $0.20 per minute.
LINK-Up: 70% total ride discount

Users who participate in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) will be offered discounted fare pricing.

City permit programs help meet goals for sustainability, equity

With transportation responsible for 60% of Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions, shifting toward electric vehicles is a key way to help the City become a more sustainable community.

The Shared Electric Micromobility Permit Program helps the City meet goals set out in the Electric Mobility Roadmap, adopted by Council in June 2020. It helps achieve the goal of “Improve alternatives to driving” by making it more convenient, affordable, and accessible to use electric scooters and bikes. It also helps achieve the goal of “Ensure equity in access to electric mobility” by requiring operators to provide accessible devices (such as seated scooters), offer discounts for low-income riders, and distribute at least 50% of devices in equity priority areas.

This program supports the City’s strategic plan goal to "be a global leader in addressing climate change, advancing environmental justice, and protecting the environment."

Shared e-scooters and e-bikes are just one of the ways the City is making it easier for Berkeleyans to get around safely and sustainably. Transportation projects such as the Milvia Bikeway, Adeline Street Improvements, and Sacramento Complete Streets Project make Berkeley's streets safer for all modes of travel, including walking, biking, rolling, taking transit, and driving. In addition, ongoing efforts to update the Berkeley Bicycle Plan are helping to ensure that future projects continue to reflect the community’s priorities.

The next time you need to make a short trip or get to a BART station, know that scooter or bike share is an environmentally friendly alternative to driving.