TOLEDO, Ohio — A new bike share and micromobility pilot program launched in the City of Toledo on Monday, giving residents and visitors access to new e-scooters and bicycles.
The city partnered with Veo to provide those in Toledo with convenient and affordable transportation options at no cost to the city.
The ten-month pilot program will see the previous Gotcha-owned "ToleGo" bikes replaced with 100 Veo Halo pedal bikes, docked at the same stations as the ToleGo bikes. 100 Cosmo-seated scooters and up to 300 Veo Astro scooters will also be brought into the city as new mobility options for residents.
The public will be able to operate the scooters from 5 a.m. to midnight each day. Veo's standing and seated scooters use "field swappable" batteries that allow Veo staff to quickly replace any low batteries with fully charged ones and rebalance devices to parking hubs as needed.
The number of scooters will be gradually adjusted by Veo based on ridership and membership. To access the scooters, riders will scan a QR code using the Veo app to unlock the device.
Standard pricing for the Astro and Cosmo scooters is $1 to unlock and 35 cents per minute. Halo pedal bikes cost $0 to unlock and just $1 an hour to ride.
To end a trip, the Veo app helps users locate an approved parking area and take an “end of ride” photo of the properly parked bike or scooter before ending the ride. GPS and LTE enable the company to track device locations and geofence areas that are no ride, slow ride, no parking, or recommended parking zones.
“Progressive and successful cities across the nation have launched scooter-share and bike-share programs,” Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. “We launched our first bike share program in March 2018, and I am thrilled that the City of Toledo has taken another step forward with a new bike and scooter share pilot program, aiming to give Toledoans and visitors another healthy and climate-friendly transportation option. We are building on the success we had with our previous bike share program and have invited VEO to become the city’s new bike and scooter share provider.”
Veo describes its Astro scooter as fully electric and easy to balance, with safety features such as a headlight that always remains on, and active brake lights above the rear tire. The Cosmo seated scooter provides a comfortable ride for those who prefer the added stability of a lower center of gravity, or simply are not able to stand and ride for long periods of time.
For those who prefer a bike, Veo says the Halo pedal bicycle features a Shimano internal geared hub, tamper-proof solid tires, and an ultra-comfort saddle to meet the needs of users of varying size.
Check out Veo's bikes and scooters here.