Denver residents will see Veo scooters and e-bikes on the streets as early as May 1 as Bird and Lime phase scooters out of the city over the next few weeks.Denver City Council approved the three-year contract with Veo on Monday night after weeks of delayed votes stemming from concerns about the program rollout for low-income riders and Veo's ability to function as the city's sole micromobility provider.Watch Maggie Bryan's full breakdown of what Veo will look like in Denver in the video below. New scooters, e-bikes coming to DenverDenver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said Veo will ramp up to a fleet of up to 9,000 vehicles. The company said its Denver fleet will include five different vehicle types, 70% of which will be seated scooters and bikes while the other 30% will be standing scooters."We do see 35% fewer crashes, injuries, and incidents with the seated devices. That's down to the size of the wheels larger wheels, lower center of gravity," said Alex Keating, Veo's vice president of policy and partnerships.City transportation leaders said Veo's base rates for Denver residents will be 35% cheaper than Lime and Bird, at 25 cents per minute, while base rates for non-residents will be 10% cheaper at 39 cents per minute.Denver City Councilmember Chris Hinds, who represents District 10, said he voted to approve the contract with Veo because of the company's required improvements to address safety and accessibility. A city ordinance that goes into effect this summer requires scooter providers to have sidewalk detection technology that alerts riders who are riding on sidewalks. The technology includes a verbal alert that plays until riders get off the sidewalk.Hinds, who uses a wheelchair, said Veo's fleet versatility will provide more accessible options for Denverites."Bikes, by design, are bigger wheels, so that means that it's harder for them to get caught in tree roots. It's hard to get caught in cracks, in potholes," said Hinds."They have accessibility options, including a trike for people who have concerns about balance, or people who want that nice, big bucket because they're going over to their favorite local grocery store."Veo's contract with the city also requires the company to install at least 150 new parking corrals across Denver. David Kurth, chair of the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association's scooter subcommittee, said he welcomes the changes to deter people from parking scooters in the middle of sidewalks."That is a definite plus," Kurth said. "I feel sorry for people that are in wheelchairs. You get to a point where you can't get where you want to go on the sidewalk because the scooters are blocking it."In response to concerns about scooter access for low-income riders, Keating said Veo will offer 60 minutes of free riding every day as soon as Veo scooters and e-bikes come to Denver. He said the company will not require documents to prove income on day one, but instead give low-income riders 10 days to submit verification to keep free minutes active. ...read more read less