Seattle Lime scooters will soon 'chirp' on sidewalks

SEATTLE - Seattle pedestrians will soon notice, and hear, a change on the sidewalks snaking through the Emerald City as Lime sets their eyes on a new program to curb dangerous riders.

The new "Lime Vision" rollout will include cameras, AI, and a chirping noise for riders if they drive on sidewalks. Seattleites can expect to see the company's shift this summer.

The new devices will use the cameras and AI to detect if a rider is on the road, in a bike lane, or riding along a sidewalk. At the latter, an alert noise will let the rider and nearby pedestrians know that the scooter is not where it's supposed to be, according to a report from GeekWire.

Police are searching for a suspect in a tuxedo who allegedly fired shots in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood Thursday before fleeing on a Lime Scooter. According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), at around 2:20 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting near Hubbell Place and University Street. The suspect was reportedly wearing a tuxedo and fired a handgun before taking off on a Lime Scooter southbound on 8th Avenue. Police found four shell casings at the scene, and are working to figure out what the suspect was shooting at. No injuries were reported, nor gunshot wound victims. Police searched the area but could not find the suspect. Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are now leading the investigation. The SPD is asking anyone with information to contact its Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000 and reference case number 2025-177500. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Electric scooters from the Lime electric scooter and bicycle sharing service are parked in a street of Turin on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Amid record ridership from Seattleites in 2025, including more than doubling ridership, and a new corral system being deployed, there are still safety concerns from citizens about motorized scooters on sidewalks.

What they're saying:

"Lime Vision doubles down on our commitment to building vertically-integrated hardware and software as we aim to provide the safest possible service to cities and our riders," said Joe Kraus, President at Lime.

"The audible alert very clearly makes you and others around you aware that the vehicle is not where it’s supposed to be," said Parker Dawson, Lime’s senior regional lead of government relations for the Pacific Northwest, according to GeekWire.

The tech outlet confirmed that about half of Lime's 7,000 standing vehicles will have Lime Vision by the start of June, with the rest making the transition in the following months.

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