Lime Scooter Share

[urbd]

I wonder if a lime scooter account would be a taxable benefit. It could be done as gift cards, which would probably fall under "non-cash gifts and awards" but transit passes explicitly are taxable.

would a few dollars make a difference in your tax return?

[robdrimmie]

would a few dollars make a difference in your tax return?

My tax return is irrelevant, not any of your business and asking about it is an oddly hostile response to a largely speculative question about a minor accounting curiosity.

Figuring out early whether or not reimbursements (or a monthly account as was floated as an idea up thread) are taxable benefits or not has been a small but non-trivial part of my career and my comment is entirely about the complexity of that system and not about financial concerns. Small gifts up to a certain dollar limit, like gift cards to Timmy's, are not. Lime scooters are transit but also entertainment. I've worked several places that had to go through to process of updating their accounting practices to properly record taxable benefits, and in some cases they have been forced to update employee tax information for previous years. It can be pretty frustrating and ugly for staff on all sides of the problem.

[KevinT]

Does anyone remember what day these fun little things are scheduled to reappear? I did a quick google search but didn't come across anything clear.

[danbrotherston]

I think it will be weather permitting...I'm pretty sure that's what governed the removal.

[Canard]

"The spring pilot will operate from April 1 to Sept. 30, 2019, with a report to council scheduled for Aug. 12."

[Spokes]

I wonder if April 1 is dependent on weather. I can't imagine they'd want to deploy them in less than ideal conditions.

[plam]

They're back out today.

[danbrotherston]

They're back out today.

Apparently weather is no object lol.

[urbd]

The pilot route is terrible. They should add stations in Uptown Waterloo, or at least one at the beginning of the trail next to the Clay and Glass gallery, and also they are nor allowed within the UW or WLU campuses right?

[danbrotherston]

The pilot route is terrible. They should add stations in Uptown Waterloo, or at least one at the beginning of the trail next to the Clay and Glass gallery, and also they are nor allowed within the UW or WLU campuses right?

The pilot route is limited to the Laurel Trail and the R&T park, as the scooters are not legal on roads or sidewalks, and thus are allowed only on the city and R&T park trails.

Of course, this is a *wink wink* *nod nod*...they're actually allowed everywhere kind of pilot apparently.

[urbd]

The pilot route is terrible. They should add stations in Uptown Waterloo, or at least one at the beginning of the trail next to the Clay and Glass gallery, and also they are nor allowed within the UW or WLU campuses right?

The pilot route is limited to the Laurel Trail and the R&T park, as the scooters are not legal on roads or sidewalks, and thus are allowed only on the city and R&T park trails.

Of course, this is a *wink wink* *nod nod*...they're actually allowed everywhere kind of pilot apparently.

I know, but why not extend the route to the closest point possible to Uptown on the Laurel Trail (the corner of Erb and Caroline, next to Clay & Glass)? Also, what's the buffer around the official route again? 100 m or so? I guess I can just open the app on my phone and check

[ijmorlan]

I know, but why not extend the route to the closest point possible to Uptown on the Laurel Trail (the corner of Erb and Caroline, next to Clay & Glass)? Also, what's the buffer around the official route again? 100 m or so? I guess I can just open the app on my phone and check

Actually, the Laurel Trail continues on through Uptown and up the creek on the other side of Regina. Although it’s still not absolutely clear to me which specific bits of pavement constitute the trail between Erb/Caroline and Regina.

[danbrotherston]

I know, but why not extend the route to the closest point possible to Uptown on the Laurel Trail (the corner of Erb and Caroline, next to Clay & Glass)? Also, what's the buffer around the official route again? 100 m or so? I guess I can just open the app on my phone and check

Actually, the Laurel Trail continues on through Uptown and up the creek on the other side of Regina. Although it’s still not absolutely clear to me which specific bits of pavement constitute the trail between Erb/Caroline and Regina.

Officially, nothing (outside of the sidewalk) from Erb/Caroline, to Caroline/Driveway to Mall parking.  Then more or less the pavement along the mall to King.  Then officially nothing until Hughes Lane., and obviously the laneway to Regina.  That second last part is important, the city is unofficially using the region's railway right of way for the trail despite being explicitly told no, and the region is graciously, ignoring this fact.

That being said, you'd have to ask the city for the reasoning for the boundary, it really isn't clear to me either.

[Spokes]

Scootering in the snow? Not my cup of tea!

Wouldn't the snow/salt/water do damage to the scooters?

[danbrotherston]

Scootering in the snow?  Not my cup of tea!  

Wouldn't the snow/salt/water do damage to the scooters?

No more than an ebike.

They have to be sealed to water and salt anyway.  They're probably largely aluminum.