Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis launches year-round shared e-bike and scooter program
For Minneapolis residents and tourists seeking transportation options beyond cars and buses, the city launched its shared e-bike and scooter program.
Companies Lime and Spin will pilot year-round operations, as the weather allows. Previously, the program shut down at the end of November and resumed in April.
“What’s kind of changing this year is we have their license actually extends through the winter, and so if they still find it worth it, they’re going to be authorized to keep their vehicles out throughout the winter, as long as there’s not an excessive amount of snow and ice buildup,” said Dillon Fried, a senior project manager with the city’s public works department who oversees the program.
Fried said licensees Lime and Spin will each have 1,000 e-bikes and 1,000 scooters to rent. Both companies will have Class 1 pedal assist e-bikes and Class 2 e-bikes.
The city said equity is a focus of the program. At least 30 percent of the scooters must be distributed in equity distribution areas in north and south Minneapolis. A maximum of 40 percent is allowed in downtown, and the remaining 30 percent is for other neighborhoods.
“If you don’t own your bike, or if you’re somewhere where you don’t have your bike around, and you want to take a trip on an e-bike or scooter that’s relatively affordable, it’s a great option to use micro-mobility instead of using some other type of transportation,” Fried said.
Fried says in 2024, participants took 1.25 million rides, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 200,000.
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Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis City Council to hear public comments on effort to repeal adult bathhouse ban
Minneapolis, MN
Search for permanent Minneapolis police chief has not started yet, commissioner says
Minneapolis leaders say police reform work is continuing as the city prepares to start its search for a new permanent police chief.
The city has said little publicly about the search for a new permanent Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) chief since Chief Brian O’Hara resigned more than two weeks ago.
Brian O’Hara resigns as Minneapolis police chief after report shows he interfered with investigation into his conduct
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked for an update alongside a new progress report on state-mandated reform efforts released on Thursday from city public safety leaders, including Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette and MPD Bureau Chief Ganesha Martin, who said they are confident reform work will not slow down after O’Hara’s resignation.
“Not at all,” said Martin. “So, Chief Peterson has been highly engaged, very open, curious, wanting to make sure to get up to speed on all the things that we’re doing.”
“The majority of the process is already in place, so I don’t think that it impacts the work that’s being done,” said Barnette.
What happens next?
Barnette also addressed whether ongoing mandated reforms could affect the city’s ability to hire a new chief. He said the work ahead is significant, but said he believes it will still draw interest.
“It’s a heavy lift, but having transformational reform that we’re institutionalizing here in the city is exciting work to do,” said Barnette. “So, I think we’re going to attract a lot of candidates. I don’t think that’s going to persuade anybody from not coming.”
Barnette said the hiring process is still in its early stages, adding that city leaders are still deciding what the search will look like.
“We’re still, we’re not even two weeks in with Chief Peterson yet,” said Barnette.
“We’re just going through, looking at what we did in the former search, what things that the mayor wants to see in this search, and then what input we’re going to get along the way,” said Barnette.
Has the search started?
When asked whether the official search had started, Barnette said no. He also said the city has not started talking to people yet.
The fourth quarterly progress report from independent monitor Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA) also called the hiring of a new chief “an opportunity.” The report found “significant weaknesses” in the former chief’s review process for misconduct investigations.
Barnette said the city will begin the official search for a permanent chief “pretty soon.”
Below is a statement from Interim Chief Bill Peterson on the release of the fourth ELEFA report:
You can view the full ELEFA report below:
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