Washington, D.C
As part of safety push, motor assist on DC e-bikes is slowing down – WTOP News
In response to community concerns and police observations, the motor assist feature on Lime and Veo e-bikes in D.C. is slowing down. The city’s thousands of undocked e-bikes will have a limit on how fast they can go.
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As part of safety push, motor assist on DC e-bikes is slowing down
In response to community concerns and police observations, the motor assist feature on Lime and Veo e-bikes in D.C. is slowing down.
The city’s thousands of undocked e-bikes will have a limit on how fast they can go. Now, the boost feature on Lime e-bikes won’t be able to go faster than 18 miles per hour, the company said in a statement. The assistance on Veo e-bikes will be capped at 15 miles per hour.
The previous limit for both companies’ e-bikes was 20 miles per hour, a D.C. Department of Transportation spokesman said.
City leaders have been considering asking the companies to make a change since the spring, the DDOT spokesman said. They recently asked, and the companies agreed.
The switch comes in response to growing complaints about e-bike riders zipping by pedestrians on city sidewalks, which is not illegal in D.C. In some cases, e-bikes are being used by suspects in crimes to quickly get away.
“I read a lot of police reports, so I know there’s some use, or I should say misuse, of the bikes,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday at an unrelated event. “We want to make sure that all the bicycles can be available for the purpose that they are intended, and curb any misuse.”
Meanwhile, a D.C. police spokesman said Lime e-bikes and scooters are being used by juveniles who are suspects in robberies and assaults. However, the agency doesn’t have data on how common that circumstance is.
“Anecdotally, we have some concerns about some of the shared transportation equipment being used to commit crimes,” Bowser said.
While Capital Bikeshare, or CaBi, e-bikes have a pedal assist feature, the DDOT spokesman said data shows the maximum boost is 17 miles per hour.
In busy corridors, D.C. has put in place an 8 mile per hour boost limit. That’s in effect on U Street, in Chinatown and Navy Yard and at the Wharf, DDOT said.
“We’re all trying to, in tandem with MPD, promote good behavior on our shared fleet devices,” said Sharon Kershbaum, DDOT’s director.
Jacob Tugendrajch, a Lime spokesman, said in a statement the company has “worked with the city to find what we hope will be an appropriate balance on speed limits and slow zones as have all micromobility operators in D.C. this year.”
Veo implemented the 15 mile per hour speed limit and is “working closely with the District to meet local transportation priorities and ensure our service remains a dependable option for residents traveling to work, connecting to transit, and visiting local businesses,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One hundred and twenty members of the Iowa National Guard are leaving Friday for Washington, D.C., where they will assist with security measures and America 250 celebrations at the request of the Trump administration.
Reynolds initially said no
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had previously declined the Trump administration’s request, citing the strain of one of the state’s largest recent deployments.
“They asked earlier, and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt that we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
Nearly 2,000 Iowa National Guard members had spent a year or more deployed to the Middle East. Those soldiers have since returned home.
Guard members now available following Middle East return
With those troops back, Reynolds said Iowa was in a position to fulfill the president’s request.
“We have them all back. They circled back, especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th uh birthday uh of our country. And so we were able to participate and do our share,” Reynolds said.
Different states have sent National Guard members to Washington, D.C., since last August.
Reynolds said the federal government will pay the costs of Iowa’s deployment to Washington, D.C.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON – Metro riders are seeing changes Thursday morning as WMATA adjusts its shuttle bus system following concerns about long lines and confusion tied to the Red Line summer shutdown.
Express shuttles to North Bethesda will now only pick up on Wisconsin Avenue near the Trader Joe’s. Local shuttles serving Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor have been moved to the Friendship Heights Metro station, while some regular Metrobus routes are picking up on Western Avenue.
Red Line Shuttle Service Updates
• Local shuttle boarding will be relocated to Bus Bay K – the current C83/D96 bus stop on Wisconsin Ave.
• C83 and D96 buses will be relocated to the bus shelter on Western Ave near Wisconsin Ave.
• Express shuttle boarding will remain in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Ave NW.
What we know:
FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Red Line riders say the shutdown has added time to their commute, though many are trying to stay positive. The shuttles connect North Bethesda and Friendship Heights through September 6, when Purple Line construction is expected to wrap up.
Metro Red Line summer shutdown leads to long shuttle lines
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
The workaround relies on dedicated shuttle bus lanes along northbound and southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 and up to Rockville Pike. But truck drivers, delivery drivers and passenger vehicles have been stopping or parking in those lanes, forcing shuttles to go around and slowing traffic.
Metro and Montgomery County police have increased enforcement to keep the lanes clear. Metro Transit Police say they asked more than 60 drivers to move out of the bus lanes in the first days of the shutdown.
Metro is also adding about 100 parking spaces at Friendship Heights in the former Lord & Taylor garage. Some Montgomery County riders are opting for the MARC train downtown instead.
Metro’s Red Line shutdown is now in full effect: Here’s what you need to know
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
The Source: Information in this article comes from WMATA and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Washington D.C. police are searching for a vandal who was caught on surveillance video slashing the tires of multiple vehicles in a Georgetown alley on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, who fled the scene on a red bicycle, targeted a Chevy Suburban and a Ford Escape on the 1700 block of 35th Street Northwest.
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