PHOTO CREDIT: Evan Casey
It seems as though most electric scooter riders are aware of the “no sidewalk” rule. An informal poll, which asked Lime riders in Milwaukee if they knew about the rule, found that a majority of them did.
The Shepherd asked Lime riders, both in person and online, where they heard about the rule as well—finding that many riders found out about the rule via the Lime app itself and local media. This comes after Mayor Tom Barrett held a press conference last week announcing that no new electric scooters or scooter companies could come to Milwaukee, mainly because of the violation of this rule.
“We want to make this work but its not going to work if we don't have compliance with the law,” said Mayor Barrett.
The City has received more than 100 complaints about sidewalk usage since approving the dockless scooter pilot program just over two weeks ago. A spokesperson for Ald. Robert Bauman said they have been receiving a “steady stream of complaints” from Milwaukee citizens. Bauman, the downtown alderman, introduced the sidewalk riding amendment during a Common Council meeting.
When Lime riders were asked why they don’t always follow the rule, the issue of safety was the main reason. One way streets, construction zones, dangerous road conditions and high traffic areas pose dangers to scooter riders and are reasons why riders might feel safer riding on the sidewalk. In response, Mayor Barrett urged riders to travel an extra street or two if they face those dangers.
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“Maybe... if it’s a busy street, you might be better off going one or two streets, to the east or the west, or the north or the south, so it's not as busy, so you’re not in the middle of a lot of traffic,” Barrett said during a press conference.
Lime also issues random reminders about sidewalk usage. Occasionally a message that says “Please remember to stay off the sidewalks while riding Lime” will pop up on the app.
However, in a letter to the Common Council and Mayor’s office, a woman who walks with a service dog in Milwaukee said she is concerned for her safety because of the violation of this law.
“In the brief walk to the post office, just about an hour ago, I just stood, with my service dog, in the middle of the sidewalk so they either had to stop or harm us. I did this the other morning. And I did this again this afternoon with three individuals, who were not together—four separate instances,” the letter said.
A new Rutgers University study found the number of head injuries occurring while on motorized scooters rose from 2,325 in 2008 to 6,957 in 2018. Although helmet use is not required by the city or by Lime, both entities encourage users to wear helmets.
What’s Next?
Two electric scooter companies, Bird and Spin, were denied approval to come to Milwaukee by the Department of Public Works. Lime was also denied the possibility of adding more scooters to Milwaukee’s streets by the DPW as well. Quickly after the Mayor’s press conference Friday, Lime provided an option on their app that said “Love riding Lime? Let Mayor Barrett know!” However, that message was not present in the past few days.
Mayor Barrett said the pilot program could be terminated in “weeks” if riders keep ignoring the rules. Barrett also added that he would rather have police focus on stopping crimes that endanger people's lives. The fine for riding on the sidewalk ranges from $20 to $40 for the first offense and $50 to $100 for the second offense. A spokesperson for the MPD said they have issued no citations for sidewalk riding yet.
“The law is clear. They are motorized vehicles, they need to be in the street,” Barrett said.
According to Lime, as of Aug. 1, a little under 25,000 rides were completed—with around 5,000 repeat users taking part.
Lime's First Ride Academy, an "interactive and hands-on electric scooter safety course," is coming to Summerfest Parking Lot H on Saturday, Aug. 10 at noon. Learn more here.
Read more of our continuing coverage of electric scooters in Milwaukee here.
