Denver Politics
On My Block · Denver Politics

City CouncilFollow-up

Veo enforcement starts Sunday. Did choosing one scooter company limit Denver's options?

Since our last story, the mayor and Council member Chris Hinds have talked about fines per violation, a possible second vendor and even ending the contract. Here's how the one-vendor decision got made.

By Denver Politics staffUpdated

A transportation department slide on the shared bike and scooter program, shown to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Sept. 2, 2026.
A transportation department slide on the shared bike and scooter program, shown to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Sept. 2, 2026.Denver City Council video via Denver Politics

Denver starts enforcing its scooter rules against Veo on Sunday, Nov. 1. Our earlier story covered the announcement. What's new: a question about leverage. Because Denver dropped Lime and Bird this spring and made Veo its only shared scooter and bike operator, the city has one company to hold accountable and fewer easy ways out, 9News reported on Oct. 24.

What changed since our last story

According to 9News:

  • Fines per violation. Mayor Mike Johnston said the plan is to fine Veo for each instance of a violation, and that with thousands of violations a day the fines could be serious. The amounts have not been announced.
  • The technology. Veo's contract requires the whole fleet to detect sidewalk riding and respond with a warning or reduced throttle. Johnston said it is past due for Veo to deliver it.
  • A second vendor? Council member Chris Hinds said the contract is not sole-source, so the city could bring in another company, though he acknowledged it is harder to tell a lone operator to leave. Johnston said the city still sees value in one operator, and that if fines don't work, Denver could consider other steps, including ending the contract.
  • Veo's side. Veo said it is reviewing the city's information and is committed to safe sidewalks. It has announced rider fines, parking corrals and better detection.

What our records add

The one-vendor question came up before the vote. The license with VeoRide Inc., 26-0326, spent a month in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee:

  • March 18: postponed on a motion by then-Council President Amanda Sandoval (meeting). The vote to delay was 6-0, with Stacie Gilmore absent (roll call). 9News reported that Sandoval cited a study finding no major U.S. city over 500,000 people had chosen a single exclusive vendor.
  • April 1: postponed again, on another Sandoval motion (meeting).
  • April 15: approved for filing 6-0. Voting yes were Flor Alvidrez, Kevin Flynn, Hinds, Paul Kashmann, Sandoval and Shontel Lewis; Gilmore was absent (roll call).
  • April 27: adopted 11-0 by the full Council, with Hinds and Kashmann absent.

At the April 15 committee, a presenter said the 2025 law requires the fleet to have sidewalk-riding detection, and that Veo pairs GPS mapping with a radar-based system (video at 6:10). On Sept. 2, a Veo representative told the same committee the company shared the goal of ending reckless sidewalk riding (video at 9:33).

Who wrote the rules. Hinds was the primary sponsor of the 2025 ordinance, 25-0599, which since July 1 puts compliance responsibility on the company rather than only the rider, according to 9News.

What's next