2M+ rides and counting: Reflecting on the year in Seattle bike shares Lime bike has enjoyed Seattle almost as much as the we've enjoyed them

Seattle is really taking the "green means go" thing to heart, riding Lime bikes more than two million times this year. Seattle is really taking the "green means go" thing to heart, riding Lime bikes more than two million times this year. Photo: Courtesy GeekWire Photo: Courtesy GeekWire Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 2M+ rides and counting: Reflecting on the year in Seattle bike shares 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

It's been a big year for bike sharing in Seattle.

After shutting down the docked bike share program Pronto in 2017, the city hesitantly offered a pilot program to three dockless bike share programs. And this year, not only did they flourish, they established themselves: At the end of July, the City Council officially (and unanimously) passed legislation allowing up to four companies to operate in the city. In return, each company pays $250,000 for the right to wheel up to 5,000 bikes around the Seattle.

That brought a bit of reshuffling as some of the bike companies that had been operating under the pilot program opted to leave the market. And while there have been some newcomers to fill in some of the gaps, Lime remains the only bike share program to stay from the official change.

So now that Lime is reflecting on the year, it's no surprise that Seattle is a big spot for the company.

According to its year-end report, the company's 17 months in Seattle have seen more than 2 million trips on Lime e-assist and pedal bikes -- the first time a U.S. market has reached that milestone.

RELATED: A primer for newbie riders on Seattle's bike share programs:

So, you want to start using bike shares to get around. The convenience of just grabbing a bike to make an inner-city trip, or to commute more significant distances is a major benefit for those who would rather avoid the higher costs of cabs or rideshares and don't want the headache of driving their car (if they own one) in Seattle traffic. Three bike share companies are now populating Seattle's streets with yellow, green and orange bikes. You can find them almost anywhere you find yourself around the city. But there are a few things to know about them before you hit the mean streets of Seattle to pedal your way to freedom. Click on to learn more. less So, you want to start using bike shares to get around. The convenience of just grabbing a bike to make an inner-city trip, or to commute more significant distances is a major benefit for those who would rather ... more Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Bike share: A primer for new users 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

During 2018, Seattle had 350,000 riders, pedaling through a total of 2.05 million rides. Thirty percent of the riders here reported that their most recent trips were replacing using a car (whether personal or ride share).

Those 2.05 million rides made up just a portion of the 26 million rides, which covered about 28 million miles.

And they didn't stop there: Seattle also broke ground as the beta testing for the company's new "LimePods," small Fiat cars for the company's new carshare service.

Lime announced plans to expand the car share offering in other markets, starting in California next year.

RELATED: Why being a bike commuter can suck sometimes:

Things bike commuters hate



When construction takes over the bike lane

It's a perpetual problem in any Seattle commute, but it leaves you a bit hung out to dry as a bike commuter. Things bike commuters hate



When construction takes over the bike lane

It's a perpetual problem in any Seattle commute, but it leaves you a bit hung out to dry as a bike commuter. Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Bike commuters hate 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

According to the report, the average user of the service is 32 years old, with 25 percent reporting an age of 37 or higher. That's encouraging to the city of Seattle, where officials have been hoping to get more people interested in biking around what Bicycle Magazine called the top city for biking in the country.

According to Dongho Chang, city traffic engineer here in Seattle, it's paying off locally too: bike traffic through Second Avenue's bike corridor saw a 31 percent increase last year, and bike collisions are down both in total (8.6 percent drop in 2017) and for serious injuries (down to 21 from 29 in 2016).

RELATED: Law firm maps out bicycle crash hotspots

"It's really reflective of the different ways people get around in Seattle now; there's so many options available," Chang said in an interview this year. "People have choices to get around, and we are also seeing a huge increase in the type of facility that we enjoy.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm and demand, and some disappointment we're not doing it fast enough."

He suspects that will only be compounded when the various construction projects in the pipeline -- including changes to the waterfront, state Route 99 and downtown -- start putting more demand on the street.

RELATED: A case for biking around Seattle in the winter:

The season is changing, but your commute doesn't have to. Click through for some reasons to stay in that saddle until spring. The season is changing, but your commute doesn't have to. Click through for some reasons to stay in that saddle until spring. Photo: P-I File Photo: P-I File Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close A case for biking in the winter 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

Just remember: Come January 11, when the "Seattle Squeeze" is on, biking will be one of the few modes of transportation merely lightly impacted by the traffic nightmare.

Happy pedaling!