Lime geofences downtown Minneapolis ahead of takeover, bans I-35W riders
Minneapolis scooters ride onto I-35W, around downtown
A TikTok flyer drew hundreds of scooter and bike riders to a meetup near U.S. Bank Stadium before the group moved through downtown Minneapolis. Witnesses reported 200-300 Lime scooters riding onto I-35W.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Lime put restrictions in place on Wednesday to prevent another scooter takeover in Minneapolis while banning riders who rode scooters onto I-35W last weekend as part of a mass gathering in downtown.
Restrictions put in place
What we know:
On Reddit, a user posted a screenshot Wednesday of the Lime app showing downtown Minneapolis under a geofence restriction. The restriction meant scooters couldn't operate in downtown Minneapolis.
When asked by FOX 9, a Lime rep said the restriction was put in place to prevent another "planned takeover." Normal service went back into effect Thursday morning.
Riders who went on I-35W banned
Local perspective:
Lime also said they had banned all the riders who went onto I-35W during a takeover on Saturday. They also issued warnings to other participants in the Saturday takeover.
Minnesota State Patrol responded Saturday night to a report of 200 to 300 scooters that rode onto I-35W during the takeover. Troopers said they responded but did not make contact with the riders and said no enforcement action was taken.
What they're saying:
"We are grateful to the tens of thousands of Minneapolis residents who ride Lime safely and responsibly on a regular basis and we want to remind those involved with these takeovers that behavior like this negatively impacts everyone who relies on shared vehicles to get around," said Senior Regional Lead of Government Affairs at Lime Kelly Harrop.