Electric scooters arrived on the streets of Milwaukee the morning of Tuesday, July 23, just two weeks after the Milwaukee Common Council approved an electric scooter pilot program. Governor Tony Evers signed a bill regulating dockless electric scooters in Wisconsin just one day before Milwaukee’s pilot program was approved, allowing municipalities to control how they want to use the law. Milwaukee is choosing to regulate scooters through multiple conditions: no sidewalks, no Riverwalk riding and no parking scooters near a streetcar stop, among many others.
Safe use of scooters is the message preached by aldermen and city officials, the police and even the scooter companies themselves. But will users follow these rules? Time will tell. All we do know is that the future of electric scooters in Milwaukee is uncertain as the pilot program expires at the end of this year. Ultimately, it’s up to city officials if scooters will stay or not.
They’re Here
The commissioner of the Department of Public Works (DPW) has control over which scooter companies can operate in the city under the pilot program. As of Monday, July 29, only Lime has scooters in the city after dropping off hundreds on July 23. However, two other scooter companies have applied—Bird and Spin. Neither have announced when or if they will operate in the city.
Scooter companies can deploy 350 scooters anywhere in the city. But some companies could reach up to 750 if additional dockless scooters are equally distributed between specified zones. Lime was approved to deploy 500 scooters. Additional fleet expansions up to 1,000 scooters could be allowed as well, based on performance metrics during the pilot program. The 350 scooters can be placed in areas including much of the Downtown, Bay View, East Side, Bronzeville, Harambee and Brewers Hill neighborhoods. The additional zones encompass much of the rest of the city. A ride with Lime costs $1 to unlock the scooter and $0.25 per minute. The scooter tops off at 15 m.p.h.—the state’s scooter speed limit.
Parking the scooters has been a concern for some in the city. The user must leave at least five feet of clear space on a sidewalk after they’re done with their ride. The city says scooters may be parked in the terrace zone or the space between the sidewalk and the street. However, scooters cannot be parked at or on parklets, loading zones, accessible parking spaces, curb ramps, entryways, driveways, street furniture requiring pedestrian access, transit stops including bus stops and streetcar stops, bridges or The Riverwalk. Users must also park the scooter upright and not block Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access ramps. Parking near bike racks is advised by many scooter companies, including Lime. Users are also required to take a photo of their parking job when they are finished with their ride.
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If a scooter is improperly parked, the city says the operator must relocate the scooter within two hours during day operation (6 a.m.-10 p.m.). If the city is notified between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the scooters must be relocated by 8 a.m. If the operator does not do so and the city has to move it, the scooter company is fined $50. When asked how many employees Lime has on its Milwaukee team, a spokesperson replied with “a handful of individuals.”
The pilot program says the scooter companies may decrease the number of scooters deployed during the winter, meaning Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, 2019, when the pilot program ends.
PHOTO CREDIT: Evan Casey
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A Lime Scooter improperly parked in the Third Ward.
Scooters and the Sidewalk
Sidewalk usage is one of the biggest concerns to many Milwaukee residents. Although only Alderman Mark Borkowski voted no on the pilot program, other aldermen are also skeptical of scooters running rampant on sidewalks. “Why would we put ourselves at risk when we know they [users] aren’t going to abide by the sidewalk?” asked Ald. Borkowski. “Quite frankly, it’s not an issue of if, it’s an issue of when.”
“There has to be respect for the rights of pedestrians,” said Ald. Robert Bauman, who introduced the sidewalk riding amendment during a Common Council meeting. “We will really have to rely on the responsibility of scooter users.”
When the Shepherd Express test rode the scooters in the first week, it found countless users abusing the no sidewalk rule. The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) will ultimately be the enforcers of the rule, according to the DPW. The fine for riding on the sidewalk ranges from $20 to $40 for the first offense and $50 to $100 for the second offense.
Some aldermen questioned if the MPD would enforce this rule at all, leading Donovan to abstain from voting on the program. He explained, “I think most everyone here is interested in embracing new ideas... but we also need to ensure public safety, and without the police even weighing in on it, I’m reluctant to vote on it.”
When the Shepherd asked about enforcement, MPD released a statement: “We are requesting that all individuals who utilize motorized scooters obey the rules of the road and the City of Milwaukee Ordinances. It should be noted that Milwaukee police officers have the discretion to enforce ordinance violations. However, it is important that individuals make responsible decisions when utilizing scooters.”
When asked if any MPD officers have given out citations yet, an MPD spokesperson did not respond. A spokesperson from Lime said the local team will also “patrol areas where sidewalk use is concerning…in partnership with the city.” “I would be surprised to see any tickets except in the case of a crash,” said Ald. Bauman, in response to the statement.
Many Modes of Transportation
Proponents of electric scooters say they add another cheap and energy efficient way for citizens to get around the city. “We want this to be a city where there are many modes of transportation,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said during a press conference that announced the statewide legislation in July.
Ald. Tony Zielinski praised the scooters at the Common Council meeting that approved the pilot program, saying they’re a good way to get around the city. “We’re adding another means of transportation,” he said. “This is actually an opportunity for the city to generate revenue.” Operators have to pay the city to operate in the pilot program, including an occupancy fee of $50 for each dockless scooter. Add that to the money the city could make through fines and fees, which include an application fee of $300 and the $50 relocation fee.
Additionally, the electric scooters are fast. A one-mile trip from the Public Market to the Milwaukee County Courthouse took around eight minutes to complete, costing around $3. However, construction—and a lack of bike lanes in certain parts of the city—do pose dangerous conditions for scooter riders.
Dockless?
Other areas across the U.S. have also drafted “no sidewalk” rules, including San Antonio, Texas, Washington, D.C., and the entire state of California. Regarding the question of parking scooters improperly, companies like Charge, which offers charging stations for electric scooters, could help with safety. Their goal is to house approximately half of the available fleet of scooters in each city to keep them off the streets and sidewalks at no cost to municipalities.
“A smart city isn’t going to be a smart city with 3,000 scooters thrown all over the sidewalks and streets,” said Andrew Fox, co-founder of Charge. “We support the dockless model, but our recommendation would be to use a combination of virtual and physical docks to address the problem so that the city can help everyday people navigate the city streets, while embracing the future of mobility.”
As of now, most scooters are charged by “Scooter Chargers,” citizens who pick them up at the end of the day and charge them in their own homes, dropping them back off in the streets in the morning. When asked whether it would support initiatives like the one proposed by Charge, the Milwaukee DPW said the pilot program would help decide if they would use services like these. Atlanta is currently the only city using Charge.
The Locals Weigh In
Milwaukee citizens and business owners are split on how they feel about the scooters. Onesto, a restaurant in the Third Ward, has an outdoor patio on the sidewalk. According to manager Nathanial Koenig, when scooters first came to the city last summer, “The only issues we had was with parking.” Koenig said he hasn’t seen any problems with users riding through the sidewalk patio thus far. “I feel like with scooters, most people would go around [the patio] for the most part. I feel like now that it’s the second year its back, people understand the limitations. The more experienced people get with them the better off we're going to be.”
Hannah Lundgren, a manager at Broadway Paper, said sidewalk riding could be an issue for her business. Broadway Paper has two separate entrances and exits on a busy Third Ward corner. “There’s not really many bike lanes in the Third Ward area, so riding on the sidewalk might get interesting, especially on the weekends,” she said.
Bryan Hecker, a Pewaukee resident riding a Lime scooter for the first time in the Third Ward, said he understands most of the regulations. “I was cautious about car doors opening suddenly and cautious of cars coming up behind me,” he said about his ride. “But I’m glad they got them back. As long as people are responsible with them, why not.”
Read more of our continuing coverage of electric scooters in Milwaukee here.
PHOTO CREDIT: Cole Vandermause
Lime Scooters
Lime Scooters in the Third Ward.
