What are the rules for electric scooters in Denver?

A Lime scooter sits on the streets of Denver (Photo: Joe Dahlke/KDVR)

by: Samantha Jarpe

Posted: Jun 7, 2023 / 12:50 PM MDT

Updated: Jun 7, 2023 / 12:50 PM MDT

DENVER (KDVR) — Warmer weather means more people outside, and with that, there may be more people opting to use alternative modes of transportation to get around.

Things like rentable electric scooters and electric bikes litter the streets of Denver and are very popular.

But, if you have ever seen one — or a few dozen — on the roadway, or have even been tempted to hop on one yourself, you might have wondered what the rules are.

There are a few rules statewide that must be followed, including that e-scooters are not allowed on interstates or restricted highways unless bicycles are also allowed.

However, municipalities are allowed to put additional regulations on e-scooters, as long as they aren't more restrictive than the rules for pedal-assisted electric bicycles.

Because cities are able to create some rules of their own, many of these rules are specific to Denver and don't apply to other municipalities such as Aurora or Boulder.

For the most part, in Denver, the rules for e-scooters are the same as those for bicycles or e-bikes. This means that e-scooters must be driven in bike lanes and on the right-most side of the road when there isn't one.

You are not allowed to ride an e-scooter, a bike or an e-bike on a sidewalk unless it's part of a designated bike path, or you’re getting on or off of it.

And when you are on a sidewalk, you can't go more than 6 mph and must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.

None of these rules apply to 16th Street Mall, where e-scooters are banned in general.

E-scooters have been a familiar sight in Denver since late 2018.

Since then, there have been over 11.8 million trips, with a little over 14.1 million miles traveled in Denver alone, according to data shared in connection with the city.

The city partnered with Lime and Lyft in 2021, and each company is allowed to have a maximum of 2,930 e-scooters on the road.

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