San Francisco-based electric scooter company Lime officially launched in Milwaukee on Tuesday as it begins deploying up to 500 scooters across the city.
The city of Milwaukee has been accepting applications from e-scooter companies to participate in its pilot since the popular, yet controversial, method of transportation was legalized in Wisconsin earlier this month.
Besides Lime, e-scooter companies Spin and Bird have also reportedly applied to be in the pilot. Bird is applying after previously being banned from Milwaukee when it initially launched its service in the city last year.
The goal of the pilot, overseen by Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works, is to evaluate the effectiveness of dockless scooters in Milwaukee. E-scooter pilot programs have been implemented in other cities as a way to address safety concerns that stem from problems that have arisen due to scooter use, such as sidewalk clutter and traffic accidents.
The pilot, scheduled to end December 31, could bring up to 1,000 scooters from each participating company to Milwaukee. The idea is that the pilot will help Milwaukee mitigate congestion and expand transportation options to more residents. To help organize where the scooters operate, the pilot area is broken up into three zones.
Zone 1 is bounded on the east by Lake Michigan, on the north by the city’s limits, on the west by I-43/I-94, on the south by Oklahoma Avenue, and the area west of I-43 bounded by W. Highland Avenue, 22nd Street and I-94. Zone 2 is bounded on the east by I-43, on the north and west by the city’s limits, and on the south by I-94, excluding the area west of I-43 bounded by W. Highland Avenue, N. 22nd Street and I-94. And zone 3 is bounded on the east by I-43/I-94, on the north by I-94, and on the west and south by the city’s limits, and the area east of I-43/I-94 bounded on the east by Lake Michigan, on the north by Oklahoma Avenue and on the south by the city's limits.
The pilot’s terms allow e-scooter companies to deploy an initial fleet of 350 scooters and can increase it up to 1,000 scooters based on performance metrics. Scooters are prohibited from Milwaukee sidewalks and the Riverwalk. Additionally, the city suggests that riders wear helmets and park scooters responsibly.
The pilot was initially created in 2018 after Milwaukee filed lawsuits against Bird and its founder, Travis Vanderzanden. Last year, when Bird first introduced its dockless scooters to Milwaukee, the City Attorney’s office said the e-scooters violated state statute and were subject to a $98.80 citation if they were ridden on a city street or sidewalk.
The city later demanded that Bird remove its scooters from Milwaukee and pay $200 for every time the company allowed someone to rent an e-scooter in Milwaukee since June 27, 2018.
Earlier this month, Bird settled its dispute with Milwaukee, agreeing to pay the city $65,000, according to a press release. A portion of the settlement proceeds are slated to fund infrastructure investments in Milwaukee that support the e-scooter pilot.
Milwaukee isn’t the only city that’s struggled with how to coexist with e-scooter companies, many of which are heavily venture-backed and growing quickly. Other cities are also moving cautiously with e-scooters by taking a pilot program approach. Chicago is currently operating an e-scooter pilot in which it allows 10 scooter companies to participate.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Lime officially began deploying scooters in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 23.
