A proposed contract to replace the city’s e-bike and scooter vendors stalled again Wednesday as a City Council committee declined to advance it without further review and a “redlined” version of the agreement.

Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee delayed their decision until April 15 after a motion to advance a three-year contract with Veoride Inc., a Santa Monica-based e-scooter and bike operator, failed for lack of a second.

Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure selected Veo to be the city’s next shared scooter and bike operator, with the transition anticipated to occur in the spring of 2026 when the city’s license agreements with existing contractors Bird and Lime expire.

DOTI officials hit a bump last week with the same committee, as members balked at advancing the agreement without seeing the contract first and details of how Veo was scored and selected as the city’s new single provider of micromobility transportation. 

Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval repeatedly pressed DOTI officials during a March 18 committee meeting, saying she had not seen the contract or the scoring sheet used to evaluate competing proposals.

“I need to see the scoring, and I need to see the contract,” she said. “I don’t vote on a scope of work. I vote on a contract.”

Sandoval, again, expressed frustration with DOTI officials after receiving the proposed contract late Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the committee vote.

“Normally, we do what’s called red line,” Sandoval told DOTI Senior Legislative Affairs Specialist Alaina McWhorter. “So, you sent it (the contract) to us last night at 5:54 p.m. Our council meeting starts at 3:30 p.m. I don’t know how you expected me to read a contract. That’s pretty impossible. And then, when I did open the contract, it was not redlined. So how am I supposed to know if it’s changed or not?”

Should the contract be approved, the rollout to Veo would happen around May 1, providing a two-week overlap with Lime and Bird to provide a transition period without losing service capability.

For some, the quick changeover from Lime and Bird is concerning and has prompted requests for the city for another 12- to 18-month extension.

City legal officials note that the agreement with Lime and Bird expires on April 15 and that the contracts could not be extended without returning to the City Council.

DOTI officials note that extending the contract beyond two weeks would also create confusion among riders and make the transition even more challenging.

Among those who depend on Denver’s shared bike and scooter program are low-income residents who rely on the city’s Free-Ride ‘Access’ program to get to and from work, appointments and school.

The Lime Access program offers free, 30-minute bike and scooter rides for eligible riders.

The contract is expected to return to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on April 15.