Chicago is rolling out another electric scooter pilot program this summer, following a popular but controversial trial last year.
This time, the program will have four times as many electric scooters and include most of the city. There also will be new rules, including a requirement that all scooters be locked to something, such as a bike rack or another fixed object, at the end of a ride.
Last summer, the city tried a four-month pilot with 2,500 scooters over a 50-square-mile area of the North, South and West sides.
This year’s four-month pilot will have 10,000 scooters and three vendors, and the devices will be available everywhere except the central business district, the lakefront and The 606 trail. It will start in late July or early August. The central business district is defined as Chicago Avenue on the north, Roosevelt Road on the south, Halsted Street on the west, with another western boundary on Clark between Chicago and Division Street.
“The goal of the second pilot is to apply lessons learned from the first pilot and focus on issues of equity, parking solutions and safety, especially so during this time of the unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis,” said Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Claffey.
Claffey said the city will look at whether the rented scooters can be a good option long-term, and in particular, whether they can help people in neighborhoods with transportation and economic issues.
Unlike last year, the companies will not have to round up scooters every night for redistribution in the morning.
. The requirement to lock scooters to a bike rack or other fixed object is intended to eliminate complaints last year of scooters being left in the middle of sidewalks or in doorways, posing a tripping hazard.
Because of the risks posed by the coronavirus, companies will need to clean the scooters each time their staff comes in contact with them, and riders will be encouraged to wear gloves and wash and/or disinfect their hands after each use.
The scooters can be rented using a phone app. Last year, pricing varied, with most unlocking for $1 plus 15 cents a minute. Prices are set by the vendors.
The 2019 program was fairly popular, with riders taking about 7,000 trips a day. But it was also controversial, with complaints of unsafe riding and nearly 200 emergency room visits because of scooter-related injuries.
Scooters were ridden on sidewalks, outside of the designated pilot area, and by children, even though the program was meant only for adults. The city issued citations to scooter companies for problems ranging from not having a working front light to not responding to complaints.
Last year’s program also drew complaints because there were 10 providers, so riders had to put multiple apps on their phones. This time, the city will only pick three, with each deploying up to 3,333 scooters. Applications are due June 25, and the winners will be announced in July, according to the CDOT.
Under the 2019 program, vendors had to place at least 25% of scooters each morning in two West Side priority areas. The areas were chosen because they had less access to Divvy bikes than other parts of the city.
Despite efforts to encourage people in all parts of the city to use the scooters, a city study found that demand was highest in the West Loop and along Milwaukee Avenue, where there already are multiple transportation options.
Scooter companies this year will be required to deploy half of their devices throughout priority areas on the South and West Sides that will be subdivided into 20 zones, in order to provide equitable and balanced distribution, Claffey said.
Vendors also have to offer digital and social media educational material, and work with Chicago Police and the transportation department’s safety ambassadors to host educational events and give away helmets, which are recommended, though not required. An in-app safety quiz will be required for all new riders, the city said.
Chicago gave permits last year to Bird, Bolt, gruv, Jump, Lime, Lyft, Sherpa, Spin, VeoRide and Wheels. The same companies are being allowed to apply this year, though Jump and Lime have merged, Claffey said.
