ORLANDO, Fla. — Robin Grillakis has worked at Dexter's in Thornton Park for nearly a year now, and it hasn't gone unnoticed that the majority of her customers arrive by bike or on foot.
- Lime E-Assist Bikes sees staggering use in Orlando
- Lime Bikes has had over 10,000 rides since November
- First dockless bike company to enter Orlando
"… the parking isn't that great so it forces people to walk and ride bikes," Grillakis said.
One of the trends she's noticed are more and more bright green bikes showing up at the front door.
Grillakis is seeing the new Lime E-Assist bikes that have been populating Orlando since November.
Already, the City of Orlando is seeing staggering numbers in people using these bikes, as opposed to the orange Juice bikes that have been around for the last few years.
"We had over 10,000 rides since November, which was just under half of what the other bike share company had in all of 2018,” said Billy Hattaway, Transportation Director for the City of Orlando. “So there's clearly a large demand. We're getting about 400 rides a day, with about 300 miles a day on those 400 rides."
There are two main differences between Lime rides and Juice rides.
First, the Limes are E-assisted, which means they come with a battery powered assist that starts when you start pedaling — the goal being a sweat-free ride in Orlando.
Secondly, Lime is the first dockless bike company to enter the city, which means you can pretty much put it back anywhere and pick one up anywhere.
If you're not familiar with the program, here is how it works:
First, you have to download the app, so you have to have a smart phone. From there, it will pick up your location and all of the bikes closest to your location as well.
Once you find the bike in which you wish to ride, you simply go up to it and scan the code, which will unlock your bike.
Once you are done with it — if you have all your payment information set up, of course — you simply park it on what is classified as “any bike spot.”
As for Grillakis, she feels that bike sharing will only bring a positive effect to people just wanting to get outside.