Bike & Scooter Share Program

Shared micromobility is a service that provides bikes and/or scooters for people to rent by the minute for short trips. Vehicles are typically rented and unlocked through a smartphone app.

Oregon State University is bringing a shared micromobility system to the Corvallis campus for a one-year pilot project. The project aims to provide sustainable transportation choices for OSU students, employees, and visitors through a mixed fleet of shared bicycles and electric scooters. Shared scooters and bikes can provide last-mile connections and replace driving trips across campus. 

The Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU) and OSU Transportation Services are working together to implement the Shared Micromobility Pilot Project. ASOSU and Transportation Services also engaged key stakeholders throughout the vendor selection process.

ASOSU and OSU Transportation Services have heard input from the student body that shared bikes and scooters would fill an unmet need for sustainable transportation on campus. Shared micromobility is also a recommended university action in OSU’s 2030 Sustainable Transportation Strategy.  

Veo has been operating micromobility services at cities and universities around the country since 2017, including at Purdue, Texas A&M, and University of Illinois Urbana-Chapaign

Veo operates a 24/7 on-the-ground support team to conduct vehicle maintenance, recharge electric vehicle batteries, rebalance vehicles throughout the day to meet demand, and respond to any issues or service needs.

Vehicles will be available for use beginning August 2024.

A mixed fleet of 50 pedal bikes and 350 electric scooters will be available to rent for short trips.

Seated scooters provide a more accessible transportation option for people who are not able to ride a bike or to walk for long distances.  Seated scooters perform better than standing scooters in Veo’s safety audits.

Scooters and bikes can travel anywhere on the OSU Corvallis campus, except designated no-ride zones. Vehicles can travel off campus on city roadways, though they must start and end trips at designated parking spots on OSU campus or other private property, per Corvallis Municipal Code Section 8.17.030. Before starting your ride, please see the Veo app for a map of the Service area and designated parking spots.

Locate a ride: Riders aged 18+ can locate vehicles using the free Veo app.

Unlock and go: Using the Veo app, riders scan a QR code to start their ride. 

• Pedal-powered Halo bike: $0.00 unlock fee and $1.00 per 30 minutes
• Cosmo seated scooter: $1.00 unlock fee and $0.39 per minute

End your ride in a designated parking location: Upon completion of the ride, riders park their vehicle in designated parking locations visible in the Veo app. Most bike racks on campus are designated as Veo parking areas.

Currently, a smartphone is needed to use Veo's services. Veo is exploring solutions to provide service at OSU without a smartphone. The pilot project team is committed to expanding service to include a non-smart phone option and will keep the community updated.

The Veo Access program provides low-income pricing for anyone who receives local, state, or federal benefits like SNAP, reduced utility bills, Pell grants, Medicaid, or similar. Email [email protected] for more information. Veo Access provides:  

• Waived unlock fees for Cosmo Seated Scooters. 
• 1 free ride per day (up to 30 minutes) and a discounted rate of $0.20 per minute for additional minutes on the Cosmo Seated Scooters. 

The shared micromobility pilot program will implement best practices and lessons learned from other communities, including the following:

• Electric vehicles used in the pilot project will contain GPS units that can limit speeds or enforce no-ride zones in dismount areas. 
• Existing dismount zones around campus, such as the MU Quad, will be geo-fenced as a no-ride zone. Shared electric vehicles will slow to a stop when riders enter these areas. 
• Electric scooter speeds will be capped at 15 mph on campus roadways. Slower speeds will be enforced by geofence in heavy pedestrian areas.
• Training Mode is available for new riders. 

University Standards require that all bikes and scooters be parked at a rack or at designated signed areas. This helps keep walkways clear for pedestrians. OSU Transportation Services will be monitoring bike parking utilization across campus as the pilot unfolds. In areas where bike racks are consistently full, the pilot project team will work with Veo to identify solutions to preserve parking for private bikes and scooters. To report parking problems at a bike rack, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

On campus roadways, shared bikes and scooters are programmed to the same 15-mph speed limit as other vehicles. In areas with high pedestrian traffic, scooters will sometimes be limited to slower speeds.

Shared bikes and scooters must comply with university standards and local laws, including University Standard 07-025 and Corvallis Municipal Code.

Veo employs a local team, working 24-7, to service the vehicles. You can report an improperly parked vehicle or report any other concerns to them at [email protected]. In your email, please note the location, the vehicle’s ID number, and mention OSU.

To guide implementation, Transportation Services has convened an ad hoc Micromobility Advisory Group of campus stakeholders to meet quarterly. The Advisory Group will review data on ridership, parking patterns, incident reports, and customer satisfaction to monitor and evaluate the program’s success. This evaluation process will be used to determine if the pilot should be continued, and any changes that may be necessary.

Please contact [email protected] with any feedback or questions.