How to Rent a Scooter on the Atlanta Beltline
Updated: Aug 28
If you have spent 5 minutes in Atlanta, you know you can't get anywhere without a car. This city is ruled by the automobile, and bikes and pedestrians hardly have a chance. Oh, public transit, you ask. What's that - Uber?
But the Atlanta Beltline is one of the few places where getting around without a car is actually part of the fun. When you want to cover a little more ground than your feet can handle, electric scooters make it easy.
Scooters came to the Atlanta Beltline in 2019 and immediately drew attention. But no matter which camp you're in (love 'em/hate 'em), they seem to be here to stay.
How to Rent a Scooter
There are 2 main companies that operate e-scooters along the Atlanta Beltline: Lime and Bird. Either one you choose, renting one is pretty simple. Just find an available scooter, unlock it with the company's app, and you're off!
Pricing typically starts at $1 to unlock and costs between $0.39 and $0.49 per minute thereafter.
But before you take off down the Beltline, there are a few rules you need to know.
Operating Rules
Yield to Pedestrians: Pedestrians always have the right-of-way on the Beltline path.
Riding Limits: Only one person is allowed per scooter.
Parking: Paths must remain clear at all times, so don't park scooters in the middle of running or walking lanes. In high-traffic areas like the Atlanta Beltline, you'll find designated parking zones. If you are near one, the app will often require you to park inside it.
Heads up: It's also worth noting that scooters are often geofenced. So if you rent one on the Beltline and then try to ride off the trail, the scooter can just die about a block later.
But how do you find a scooter in Atlanta?
You can use the apps to locate a scooter near you. The app will also show you the battery charge of each scooter, which is important to know so you don't run out of juice partway down the Beltline. But the maps aren't always reliable.
A simpler way is just to pick one up where you find it. If you're walking down the Beltline, and you come across a scooter, just grab it. It's yours. As long as the battery works.
There are also several spots where you can usually find clusters of scooters:
Irwin Street, where the Beltline crosses it
Inman Park between the Freedom Pkwy bridge and the North Highland bridge on the left
How to start a scooter
Scan the code and hit Ride. You have to push off a few feet, then press the lever
on top of the handlebars to activate the motor. The brakes are on the sides of the handlebars, where you'd expect them to be.
The e-bikes can be a bit more tricky. Spin has a pin you pull out of the tire and insert behind the seat to make it go. Good luck with this.
Ride like the wind
This is the fun part, where you get to release your inner child. Where you can fly. It's a straight shot between Piedmont Park and Dekalb Ave. so go for it. Pass the joggers and walkers. Ride through the trees. And see all there is to see on the Beltline, such as:
Ponce City Market, a former Sears factory and store, now an enticing food hall
Kroger patio, where you can get (cheap) beer and wine from a takeout window
Skyline views from the North Avenue bridge
33 oak leaf sculptures, representing the number of oak species in Georgia
A mural dedicated to the Tainos, the indigenous peoples of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands
Fourth Ward Skatepark, which legendary skater Tony Hawk helped build
Discover all the Tiny Doors. Hint: One is under the bridge across from the skatepark.
Stop at New Realm Brewing Co. for lunch and a brew on their patio overlooking the Beltline
Head left to Krog Street Market, another food hall with some of Atlanta's best restaurants
Throw back some of the city's best margaritas at Guac y Margys.
Or just enjoy the views ...and scores of people - ATLiens and tourists - doing their thing
Too much for you to figure out on your own? Forget the effort and let us take to you to these places on our Food and Art Tour of the Atlanta Beltline.
How fast do scooters go?
Scooters go fast enough to get you down the Beltline quickly, but typically max out at 12 - 14 mph. They used to go fast all the time, but a few years ago, in an effort to stem scooter accidents, the Atlanta City Council put a cap on the speed allowed on the Beltline's Eastside Trail during peak (insanely crowded) times.
The scooter speed limit is now 8 mph on the Beltline on weeknights and weekends. So if you go off the Beltline, the speed will automatically pick up. I will tell you, though, that the speed cap doesn't always work, so you might get a scooter that flies. Lucky you.
When it does work though, you can't even pass a jogger. Just sayin.
If you love discovering the best restaurants in Atlanta, or are looking for fun things to do, join our Food Tour on the Atlanta BeltLine. It's a walking tour with delicious food, no scooters included, but you can always scoot down the Beltline afterward. Now you know how.
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An Atlanta native, Nicole Gustin is the Founder and CEO of BiteLines Atlanta Food Tours, which offers walking Food and Art Tours on the Atlanta BeltLine. She considers the BeltLine her backyard, and is excited to see how Atlanta is reinventing itself. To sample some of Atlanta's best restaurants and street art, come join us on a Food and Art Tour of the Atlanta BeltLine. Follow on TikTok and Instagram @bitelinesatl.
Nicole Pitts is a freelance marketer for BiteLines Atlanta Food Tours. An avid traveler, she loves experiencing destinations through their local restaurants and cuisines. She has lived in Atlanta on and off throughout her life and considers the Beltline one of the city's best places to eat, explore, and spend an afternoon with her dog.
