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Grand Rapids replaces Lime with Veo as sole micromobility vendor

Grand Rapids replaces Lime with Veo as sole micromobility vendor

Rule Changes Grand Rapids, MI local

Veo's $5 monthly access plan cuts low-income ride costs from $40 a week, but riders question whether casual trips are cheaper.

7 days ago: Veo details safety tech and October timeline for Lime phase-out

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

Grand Rapids' shared e-bikes and scooters switched operators Sept. 1, with Veo replacing Lime. Low-income riders see the biggest change: Veo Access costs $5 a month for 30 free daily minutes, versus the $40 a week Mobile GR estimated under Lime's 50% discount.

Casual riders may not notice a difference: a 10-minute Veo scooter ride cost $4.56, while a nine-minute Lime ride in June cost $4.49. Veo's per-minute rate dropped from 36 to 33 cents, but the $1 unlock fee is unchanged. Veo holds the exclusive contract through August 2029, and Lime's vehicles phase out through October.

Why it matters

The contract cuts low-income riders' costs from about $40 a week to $5 a month. Casual riders may not see much difference.

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Key Indicators

$5/month
Veo Access monthly rate
Low-income riders get 30 free minutes daily for $5 a month.
$40/week
Lime's estimated weekly cost
Mobile GR's estimate for a low-income rider using 30 minutes daily under Lime's 50% discount.
1.8 million
Trips since 2020
More than 400,000 users have taken 1.8 million trips since the pilot launched.
12 square miles
Service area size
Covers about 27% of city land and 74% of Neighborhoods of Focus.
33%
Fleet share for service-area access
At least one-third of Veo's active fleet is allocated to ensure reliable access across the service area.
50%
Radar-equipped fleet in year one
At least half of Veo's vehicles scan 20 feet ahead to prevent crashes and sidewalk riding.
2,000
Veo fleet target by spring
Veo aims to grow from 500 devices this year to upwards of 2,000 by spring.
$0.33/min
Veo base ride rate
Down from Lime's $0.36 per minute; the $1 unlock fee is unchanged.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 2020 September 2026

7 events Latest: 7 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Veo details safety tech and October timeline for Lime phase-out

    Latest Transition Details

    City reports detail Veo's radar-based collision prevention (50% of first-year fleet), NFC parking pads, and the October rollover schedule. Veo scales up through October as Lime scales down and ceases operations.

  2. Veo takes over Grand Rapids micromobility service

    Service Launch

    Veo replaces Lime as the city's sole vendor; Lime vehicles phase out gradually.

  3. Veo launch includes free helmets and 500-device fleet

    Transition Details

    Veo's launch includes free helmets on request and a fleet that grows from 500 devices this year toward 2,000 by spring. Lime units remain available through September.

  4. City commission selects Veo in competitive process

    Decision

    Grand Rapids chooses Veo over Lime after a competitive RFP launched in March; the contract runs September 2026 through August 2029.

  5. Mobile GR Commission supports Veo selection

    Decision

    The Mobile GR Commission discussed and supported Veo's selection after a review panel scored the proposals. The full City Commission vote followed Aug. 25.

  6. Grand Rapids makes micromobility permanent with Lime

    Contract

    City adopts single-operator model and signs a three-year contract with Lime.

  7. Grand Rapids launches shared micromobility pilot

    Program Launch

    City tests shared e-scooters and e-bikes, laying groundwork for a permanent program.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May 2013 – May 2014

Citi Bike's operator collapse (2013-2014)

Alta Bicycle Share launched Citi Bike in May 2013 with 6,000 bikes. Within a year, software failures and cost overruns pushed the operator near bankruptcy, and New York City intervened.

Then

The city restructured the contract and brought in Motivate to run the system.

Now

Motivate expanded Citi Bike into the largest bike-share system in the U.S.; Lyft later acquired Motivate.

Why this matters now

Both cases show a city using its contracting power to replace a micromobility vendor when the existing operator isn't delivering what the public needs.

July 2017 – November 2017

Portland's dockless bike-share pilot (2017)

Portland launched the nation's first dockless bike-share pilot in 2017, allowing Lime, Spin, and Ford GoBike to operate under temporary rules. The pilot set requirements for parking, data reporting, and access for low-income riders.

Then

The city used pilot data to write permanent rules for dockless vehicles.

Now

Portland's approach became a reference point for cities weighing open competition versus exclusive contracts.

Why this matters now

Grand Rapids uses the opposite model—a single vendor selected by competitive bid—but also sets prices and equity requirements through its contract.

March 2018 – October 2018

San Francisco's scooter permit system (2018)

Bird deployed scooters in San Francisco in 2018 without permission, prompting the city to issue cease-and-desist letters. The SFMTA then created a permit program capping fleets and requiring low-income access plans.

Then

Permitted operators had to share data and offer reduced pricing; some later lost permits for violations.

Now

The framework influenced how cities across the country regulate dockless scooters.

Why this matters now

Grand Rapids' $5 monthly Veo Access is the same kind of equity requirement, embedded in a contract rather than a permit.

Sources

(8)