'Dock-free' rental scooters roll through Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- If you notice a bunch of lime green scooters dotting the streets of your neighborhood, don't be alarmed. Those are Lime Bike's "dock-free" electric scooters, being tested at Chicago neighborhood weekend festivals throughout the summer.

Normally, riders would locate a scooter on the Lime app's map and then go to that spot. Then, you would scan a QR code on the scooter to "unlock" it and then ride as long as you like. Unlocking costs $1 and the riding rate is 15 cents per minute. When you're finished, there's no need to return the scooter to a specific location. You just park it in a respectful place along the curb and re-lock it with the app.

"You take one of the scooters from the train to your house and when you get to your house, you can park at the sidewalk," explained Lime Bike's Jessie Lucci, adding, "the next (that) people come along can just take it from there."

Lucci said the app gives advice on where to park and also requires riders to take a photo of where they leave the scooter to ensure accountability.

Lime said its bikes (manual and electric) and scooters are in over 70 markets with more than 6 million rides provided since its June 2017 launch.