Harborview Medical Center treated 252 people for injuries involving e-bikes or e-scooters last year, up from 77 in 2021, according to hospital data.
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Hundreds of new e-bikes and e-scooters have hit the streets of Bellevue, offering another transportation option while also raising concerns about crashes and clutter.
A partnership with Lime is giving people a convenient new way to get around. The shared mobility program debuted Monday and started with 500 electric vehicles around the city. The fleet includes 350 stand-up scooters, 50 e-bikes and 100 seated electric gliders.
“I like them because when I get off the bus or the train they're right there and I can get to where I need to go fast instead of waiting on the bus to get there,” said Bengi Taylor, a Bellevue resident.
The program gives residents, commuters and visitors one more way to undertake short trips, especially between transit and riders' final destinations. Some of the heaviest use is expected downtown in the areas near Bellevue Square and the Spring District.
“The Limes, I feel like they're a good way for people to get to certain places at the times that they need to be there,” said Khalil Rudy, who has previously used e-scooters in other cities.
The launch comes as electric bikes and scooters continue to grow in popularity across the region, even as hospitals, police and local governments grapple with a corresponding rise in injuries.
Harborview Medical Center treated 252 people for injuries involving e-bikes or e-scooters last year, up from 77 in 2021, according to hospital data. Six Harborview patients died from their injuries last year, compared with two in 2024.
Harborview's data does not separate crashes involving shared rental devices from those involving privately owned e-bikes and scooters.
Jason Tugendrajch, a spokesperson for Lime, emphasized that ridership has grown faster than the rate of increase for injuries reported by the hospital.
In one example he shared, Lime riders accounted for 6.3 million rides in 2024 and 10.5 million or more rides in 2025, a 67% increase, as compared to Harborview’s combined numbers showing a 47% increase from 2024 to 2025. For additional context, Lime riders took 3.7 million rides in 2022 and 10.5 million rides in 2025, a 184% increase, whereas Harborview showed an increase in injuries of 152% from 2022 to 2025.
Tugendrajch said that means the incident rate of injuries is actually going down compared to total ridership.
Speed can play a significant role in crashes. Lime said the throttle on its Bellevue vehicles cuts out at 15 mph. Lime also points to its global safety record, saying more than 99.99% of trips on its vehicles worldwide ended without a reported incident in 2025.
In Bellevue, riders are encouraged to use bike lanes or multiuse paths whenever possible. Riding on sidewalks is allowed only when there is no other safe alternative. When using a sidewalk, riders are expected to slow down, yield to pedestrians and, at times, even walk the bike or scooter through crowded areas.
Helmets are required for bicycles and e-bikes and strongly encouraged for scooter riders.
“Some of these streets don't have bike lanes yet and it can be kind of dangerous,” said Annika Asas of Bellevue. “I know a few my friends over in Seattle, with the Lime scooters they have gotten injuries."
Parker Dawson, Lime’s senior manager of government relations in the Northwest, said the Bellevue launch comes with a full set of GPS-based geofencing which constrains the way the e-devices are used based on where riders are.
“All of our devices are already throttle-capped at 15 miles per hour anywhere you go,” Dawson said.
LIME IN SEATTLE | PREVIOUS COVERAGE
Beyond that, Lime can identify areas where there might be heavy pedestrian and bicycle use, and can force the e-bikes and e-scooter to reduce speed even more.
Parking will be another focus of the Bellevue program. The Lime app will show riders where devices can be left, including designated parking corrals. Blocking sidewalks, curb ramps, transit stops or building entrances is not allowed. The app also will identify no-parking areas, including city parks.
“We can also control where you can or cannot park,” Dawson said.
The Everett City Council recently approved regulations governing electric bicycles, scooters and other powered devices. Everett has the fifth-highest rate of e-bike hospitalizations and the third-highest rate of electric scooter hospitalizations among Washington cities, according to a City Council memo.
In Kirkland, police are increasing enforcement around unsafe riding, particularly involving electric motorcycles that do not qualify as e-bikes under Washington law.
The Auburn City Council also approved regulations intended to more clearly distinguish legal e-bikes from higher-powered electric motorcycles and give the city greater authority to address unsafe riding.
Washington law already prohibits children younger than 16 from riding e-scooters and certain faster classes of e-bikes. A state work group is considering whether additional regulations are needed.
Lime sets a more strict age requirement, prohibiting anyone younger than 18 from using its vehicles, though children have been known to find ways around the restriction.
Lawson said worldwide, Lime has provided more than a billion trips since the company's founding and they have been almost exclusively without incident.
“It's a really fantastic way to showcase a broader mode shift and a movement toward more sustainable, affordable, and convenient transportation options within our region,” Dawson said.
The city and Lime will mark the launch with a community event from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at Amazon Meadow, 600 108th Ave. NE. Community partners will provide mobility resources, and Lime will distribute free helmets.
