PHOTO CREDIT: Evan Casey
A Lime "Gen 3" e-scooter in the Third Ward.
Electric scooters are continuing to make headlines in Milwaukee. Milwaukeeans learned that riding electric scooters on the interstate is not the best idea last week. They also learned to steer clear of Marquette University. This comes as Lime announced a new scooter was hitting the streets this week, their “Gen 3” design - which has larger wheels and a larger frame.
Safety
No electric scooter-related injuries or accidents have been reported to the Milwaukee Police Department or the Department of Public Works so far. However, The Shepherd learned of at least one individual who was injured while riding a scooter at night.
The safety debate revolving around the scooters has been raging on for years. A June Consumer Reports report found that eight deaths have been directly tied to the e-scooters since the fall of 2017. That report also found that 1,500 riders have been injured on the scooters as well.
The City of Chicago, who approved their e-scooter pilot program about one month before Milwaukee, has 2,500 scooters on its streets. The Chicago Reader found that although there have also been no headline type injuries that have occurred in that time, local hospitals have seen an uptick in minor injuries from scooter riding.
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A Center for Disease Control and Prevention study in the fall of 2018 also 271 cases of e-scooter injuries in just 87 days.
“We found that less than one percent of injured people were wearing a helmet when their injury occurred,” said Laurel Harduar Morano, who worked on the study.
There have also been no citations handed out yet as well. The Milwaukee Police Department has said they have still issued no citations to riders of electric scooters in unauthorized zones. They have also issued no citations for sidewalk usage. The fine for riding on the sidewalk ranges from $20 to $40 for the first offense and $50 to $100 for the second offense.
Also, just in case you were considering taking a scooter home after a night out instead of an Uber - don’t. The law that Gov. Evers signed that regulates electric scooters in Wisconsin says that dockless scooters are defined as a motor vehicle, meaning electric scooter riders could get a ticket if they're under the influence.
Which Scooter is Cheapest?
Graph and Comparison made by Cole Vandermause.
The Shepherd performed a cost comparison, finding that out of the three scooter companies operating in Milwaukee (Bird, Lime, Spin), Lime is the cheapest to rent and operate.
Spin costs $1 to unlock the scooter + $0.25 per minute + 5.6% sales tax. A $10 deposit is required for the first ride.
Lime costs $1 to unlock the scooter + $0.25 per minute (sales tax is embedded in price).
Bird costs $1 to unlock the scooter + $0.29 per minute + 5.6% sales tax. A $5 deposit is required for the first ride.
Lime also announced that they have released their "Gen 3" scooter on Milwaukee’s streets, which they will slowly start to phase into their fleet of 250 scooters. The scooter has bigger wheels, more developed brakes and a sensor system that ensures riders are parking in areas approved by the city.
The Shepherd also found that some scooters were going above the state speed limit of 15 mph. Spin, Bird and Lime were reached out to for comment on this, but did not respond by the time the story was published.
Read more of our continuing coverage of electric scooters in Milwaukee here.
