Micromobility

Where you can ride electric motorized foot scooters in Tacoma?

• On sidewalks and paved trails, please yield to pedestrians.
• Within bicycle facilities, including bike lanes and cycle tracks.
• On roads with a speed limit of less than or equal to 25 MPH.
• Within parks on roads, sidewalks, paths, or trails, unless prohibited.

​Check out the City’s mobility options web page for a map of bicycle facilities in Tacoma.

You may not ride on roads with a speed limit of greater than 25 MPH unless you’re within a designated bike facility or on a sidewalk.

For more details on where you can ride using different active transportation options, visit the City’s Bicycling web page.

​Access Program: The City of Tacoma requires equity and access programs as part of its micromobility program. This includes an affordability program, cash and ride text-to-ride options, and multilingual outreach.

Scooter Parking: Park your scooter upright and do not block the sidewalk. Leave at least five feet of space clear for pedestrian travel and seven feet along arterials, in mixed-use centers, and downtown. Also – make sure you don’t block access to transit, ADA parking, curb ramps, pedestrian push buttons, loading zones, street or park furniture, building entryways, or driveways.

Electric Bikeshare Pilot Program - History

On May 31, 2023, Razor launched an electric bikeshare (e-bike) pilot program. The program ended in September 2023, as part of Razor’s decision to leave the shared micromobility market.

The bikes had an e-assist top speed of approximately 15 MPH. They had an adjustable seat height, lights, a large front basket, front and rear fenders, double kickstand, and multiple locking mechanisms.

Bikes were allowed to be parked at any public bike rack, using the bike’s integrated lock.

The e-bikes were not allowed along the Ruston Waterfront during the initial roll-out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shared micromobility?

Shared-use fleets of small, low-speed vehicles such as bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters that may be electric and/or fully or partially human powered.

Should I wear a helmet when I ride?

Yes. Tacoma does not have a helmet law, so you can’t get a ticket for riding without a helmet, but the City of Tacoma strongly encourages all people using human-powered and/or motorized bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, scooters, and similar modes to wear a helmet.

How did Tacoma select a micromobility vendor?

The City of Tacoma went through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Staff worked closely with community partners to develop a structure for the new micromobility program based on lessons learned from Tacoma’s micromobility pilot. Razor was selected through this competitive process as Tacoma’s sole micromobility vendor.

I have concerns about someone riding a scooter in way that could cause harm to people or property. Who should I contact?

If someone has been injured and needs medical assistance or you see a crime in progress, call 911.

Why doesn’t Tacoma have bikeshare?

The City did not receive any responses to its Request for Proposals that included free-floating bike share.

What’s the history of micromobility in Tacoma?

In fall 2018, the City granted right-of-way use permits to two companies, Bird and Lime. These permits were granted with the goal of evaluating the use and impacts of a new transportation option for people traveling around Tacoma.

Lime began by deploying 250 scooters and 100 bikes in Tacoma on Friday, September 21, 2018 for a 60-day initial permit. Lime was granted an extension through January 20, 2019 and allowed to operate up to 500 scooters and 250 bikes in Tacoma. Lime elected to remove electric bikes from their Tacoma fleet in early February 2019. Lime was granted two additional permit extensions for 500 scooters, first through September 30, 2019 and a second extension through May 31, 2020.

Bird began by deploying 250 scooters in Tacoma on October 12, 2018 for an initial 60-day permit. Bird was granted an extension through February 11, 2019 and allowed to operate up to 500 scooters in Tacoma. Bird did not pursue a permit extension.

During the pilot, over 86,000 unique users took over 346,000 trips, traveling over 430,000 miles. Lessons learned from the pilot were used to craft the development of the City’s new micromobility program.

If you’ve witnessed property damage, you can call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (253) 287-4455 or report the crime online at tacomasafe.org.