Lyft to end DC scooter service in October as company refocuses on e-bikes
The Lyft Inc. logo is seen on an electric scooter in Oakland, California, U.S., on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Lyft is scheduled to release earnings figures on August 7. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
What we know
WASHINGTON - After a six-year ride, Lyft is hitting the brakes on its electric scooters in Washington, D.C., officially pulling the plug on the service starting next month.
In a message sent to D.C. riders, the company announced that the scooters will no longer be available starting Oct. 1, 2024.
"But you can still count on us to get you where you're going. Use the Lyft app to take a Capital Bikeshare ride or request a Lyft ride," the rideshare company noted.
The move is part of a broader restructuring within the company’s urban mobility division.
In a blog post dated Sept. 4, Lyft CEO David Risher outlined the company’s decision to streamline its operations, renaming its bikes and scooters division to Lyft Urban Solutions (LUS).
"We are right-sizing our cost structure, including streamlining and restructuring the team, spending less on R&D, and focusing on deployment," Risher wrote. "We are narrowing our product portfolio to focus on our best-in-class bikes and ebikes, scooters, electrified docking stations, and software, to better sell to, serve, and electrify cities. This means we will no longer operate standalone dockless bikes and scooters."
Lyft to downsize, restructure bike and scooter program
The public should expect fewer Lyft bikes and scooters as the company plans to downsize and restructure its bikes and scooters program.
D.C. was Lyft’s first East Coast market for its scooter service in 2018.
Back then, riders could locate and reserve scooters via the Lyft app, which costed $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute of ride time.
In December 2023, D.C.'s Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced the resolution of an investigation into Lyft's failure to provide proper notice to consumers about fines imposed for improper scooter parking.
As part of the settlement, Lyft agreed to provide full restitution and return nearly $90,000 to affected scooter users. The company also said it would pay $20,000 to the District and make changes to its system to ensure users were notified about D.C.'s scooter parking rules and any fines for violations.