City Launches Program Expanding Access to Shared Mobility Options

Published on August 13, 2026

A helmet hangs off the bar of a Lime Scooter parked in the street.

The City of Charlotte has launched the Community Access Program (CAP), expanding access to shared e-scooters and e-bikes. CAP is a part of the larger Shared Mobility Program, which is the city’s partnership with private providers Bird and Lime, providing residents and visitors another way to move around the city.

The CAP serves to increase device availability, improve affordability and support community engagement in areas where additional transportation options can have the greatest impact. By improving access to shared mobility, the program helps connect residents to jobs, public transit, essential services and other everyday destinations.

“Charlotte Department of Transportation is leading an ambitious mobility plan, and I’m excited to welcome another program that will help our city be truly multimodal,” said Debbie Smith, director of CDOT. “The Community Access Program will reduce barriers to reliable and sustainable transportation, particularly for those in our Corridors of Opportunity.”

The program makes shared mobility more affordable through two types of discounts:

  • Community Access Zone Discount: Trips beginning in a Community Access Zone automatically receive a 30% discount. No application or enrollment is required.
    • Community Access Zones align with Charlotte's Corridors of Opportunity. A map is attached. Areas 1–6 are Community Access Zones. Areas 7–8 make up the existing Core Service Area.
  • Eligible Rider Discount Programs: Bird and Lime offer 50% discounted pricing for eligible riders enrolled in qualifying state, federal or local assistance programs.
    • Residents can apply for the discount through the providers, Lime and Bird.

Additionally, there will be at least eight community events each year, including learn-to-ride opportunities and neighborhood outreach, to help connect residents to CAP opportunities.

Safety is a key consideration as the city works to make shared mobility more convenient and affordable for residents. The city uses a range of tools to support safe riding and parking, including speed limits for e-scooters and e-bikes, no-sidewalk-riding and slow-ride zones, and designated no-parking areas. The city also works with operators to provide riders with safety education and messaging and is expanding dedicated parking corrals to encourage safe, orderly parking of e-scooters and e-bikes

The CAP aligns with the goals outlined in the city’s Strategic Mobility Plan, which was adopted in June 2022, including the aspiration for a 50-50 mode share split.

Learn more about the CAP online and understand how residents can take advantage of the discount programs.

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