PROGRESS: LimeBike rolling into Sioux City metro

Sioux City will be the first city in Iowa to serve as a location for LimeBike, a the rapidly expanding bicycle rental company that launched in June last year. 

Both Sioux City and South Sioux City are entering service agreements with the California-based company that will allow bikes to park on city right-of-way and sidewalks. The two could be the first Midwest locations for the company, depending on when the bicycles arrive. 

Gabriel Scheer, a director of strategic development with LimeBike, said earlier this year that he believes the area has the demographics, such as multiple colleges, that will make it a successful place to launch.

"We're really excited to see this live in Iowa," Scheer said. "We're excited to be in cities that aren't just coastal cities but are in the Midwest."

LimeBike operates using an app and its distinct lime-green "smart bikes." The app helps commuters locate nearby bicycles and then rent them using a credit card or PayPal. The bicycles are free-standing and self-locking, meaning they don't require a docking station like some other bike-sharing services and require no investment from cities.

Riders can unlock the bike either via text message or by scanning a QR code with their phone. After their commute, they can leave the bikes at their destination once they arrive. Rentals cost $1 for every 30 minutes, with discounts available for low-income users and for students.

Sioux City invited LimeBike after a search by the Downtown Partners Environment work group for a bike-sharing company. The group was intrigued by the fact that LimeBike does not require bike docks to operate and does not cost the city anything. 

Parks and Recreation Manager Angel Wallace said the bike-sharing service will support the city's goal of providing affordable transportation and recreation opportunities. People may also use them downtown for short commutes or to finish the last leg after getting off the bus, as well as for recreational riding on the city's trails.

South Sioux City Parks Director Gene Maffit said he has been lending bikes out at Scenic Park Campground for a few years, and he believes this new bike-sharing service will help fulfill that need, along with giving residents around town a new way to commute. 

"It will give residents another way of getting around the city if they don't have a car," he said.