NC State is approaching the end of its exclusive three-year contract with the electric scooter and bike rental company, Lime, but this may not mark the end of ridesharing on campus.
According to Mike Kennon, assistant transportation director, the contract will continue until the beginning of Aug. 2020. Then, the university will solicit student feedback and determine the next course of action, whether it be to renew the contract, look for a new vendor or remove such ridesharing programs from campus entirely.
Kennon explained that it costs NC State nothing for Lime to operate on campus. Lime partnered with NC State to give students discounts, provided that NC State allows their products to be on campus. Students are able to receive the discount by registering their Lime account with an ncsu.edu email address.
“The university pays nothing to Lime,” Kennon said. “Basically, we have given them permission to have their products on campus. In return, they have given our students a 50 percent discount off their products.”
Matt McKnight, a second-year studying statistics, said he takes advantage of the discount and uses Lime scooters as an alternative mode of transportation.
“I live in Wolf Village, and I have not bought myself a bike yet, so I generally scooter a lot from Wolf Village down to North Campus and then will ride a bus back,” McKnight said. “It’s definitely way more convenient and with the student discount it only cost me around 60 cents each morning.”
McKnight said the scooters save him time compared to taking a Wolfline.
“Where I have to go, taking a bus is not that convenient,” McKnight said. “It has a lot of stops and it is kind of slow. I got on the bus at 7:30 a.m. a couple mornings and did not get to my class until, like, 8:25 a.m., which is a long time to ride a bus.”
James Mabry, a second-year studying natural resources, also mentioned that Lime saves him time compared to taking an Uber.
“They are convenient because they are everywhere,” Mabry said. “I can get on a Lime scooter instead of getting on my phone and finding an Uber and taking the time to wait for them to come.”
However, two students expressed their concerns with Lime on campus, mentioning that the fun does not take away from the danger with misusing the scooters.
There is concern that scooters affect more than just riders, as pedestrians and scooters can sometimes get in each other’s way, as Ella Williams, a second-year studying agroecology, explained.
“Falling off is my biggest concern,” Williams said. “I had a friend last semester who got hit by a Lime scooter in the brickyard. The girl on the other scooter fell off and my friend was pretty hurt by it. In crowded areas when people do not know how to maneuver, it can create a dangerous situation for people who are walking.”
McCauley Matthews, a first year studying elementary education, said she tries not to ride them on campus during busy times of the day.
“Honestly they are just fun,” Matthews said. “I do not ride them if it’s a busy time of the day where everyone is changing class because you are probably going to get in an accident. I think they can be really dangerous if you are not smart about it.”
More information about Lime scooters can be found on the NCSU Transportation’s website.
