Boise has its eyes on e-scooter safety. Up first is a lower speed limit
Effective immediately, those using Lime e-scooters and bikes will be slowing down — whether they like it or not.
The city of Boise announced a speed limit change for Lime users on the Greenbelt and downtown. According to a press release, the city worked with the company to reduce the speed for all of Lime’s devices in certain parts of Boise.
Moving forward, the scooters and bikes will max out at 12 miles per hour on the Greenbelt and 10 mph downtown between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. The regular speed limit for all Lime vehicles is 15 miles per hour.
The parameters of the downtown area essentially Broad to Bannock streets and 4th to 16th streets, according to a map provided to the Idaho Statesman by the city. In that 12 block-by-four block area are Boise’s main entertainment corridors, including 8th Street and the 6th and Main area.
“The city asks all riders to join our efforts in increasing pedestrian and rider safety by applying similar speeds and other recommended safety measures when riding on the Greenbelt or in the downtown area,” the release said.
The city said it has been working to strengthen safety measures on Boise roads and paths as e-scooter use has risen. Lime vehicles were first introduced to the city in 2018, and ridership recently went past 2 million trips in Boise, the release said.
The regulation is limited to Lime products, but the city’s release said it will continue educating those who own scooters and e-bikes, some of which can exceed 30 mph.
The Boise Police Department started a campaign to educate Greenbelt users about the “rules of the road,” with officers handing out informational cards about how to be courteous on the pathway.
City Council Member Meredith Stead told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview that regulation of privately owned devices is obviously a much tougher regulation issue, because police officers would need to be pulled from necessary areas to try to enforce speed limits.
“To me this is definitely a piece of a larger puzzle, and it is the piece that we could affect most quickly, most immediately,” Stead said.
Stead also told the Statesman that any e-scooter and e-bike regulation is all about striking a balance.
“It’s complicated ... because I want to encourage all different types of transportation and access to that transportation,” Stead said. “But it’s most important that we’re keeping our residents safe.”
The city’s release reminded users to use bike lanes whenever possible, yield to pedestrians, be mindful of others and wear a helmet.
Helmets are not provided on Lime vehicles, but the company has said it will provide a free helmet if a user reaches out to request one.
Riders can view more rules and suggestions for e-mobility on the Lime website.
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM.
