Scooters: What Does This Mean for People That Ride Bikes?

Dear Seasoned Chicago Cyclists,
Please try to impart the patience and compassion you would have for a first time bike commuter. Having experienced the roll out in DC and already had one scooter fatality, there's definitely a concern about safety. Basically, scooter users will likely be pedestrians (not cyclists) turned scooter riders so they won't know the ins and outs like a seasoned cyclist. Think first time Divvy user. So yes, you'll see them on the sidewalks (even though they aren't supposed to), bike lanes, and streets. Lots of patience will be necessary. While scooters can be a good addition to the non-car commuter, they do pose risks to themselves (mostly) and other vulnerable users of the roads.

Here's an article with the details of the scooter roll-out:

https://chi.streetsblog.org/2019/06/11/ready-or-not-10-different-sc...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on June 25, 2019 at 5:38am

Hmm, doorways and “elevator door sills” at 6mph give me pause, but i guess we’ll just have to see what the 85th% think!

Permalink Reply by Paul Lazzaro on June 13, 2019 at 7:26am

Scooters are OK with me, with one caveat.  Since private companies are using public space for parking (at bike racks and on sidewalks), the city should be getting some compensation for that.  Ideally, the comopensation would be used to improve sidewalks and install more bike raks.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on June 13, 2019 at 9:41am
Permalink Reply by Steve Fiete on June 13, 2019 at 10:47am

Wow. I can't believe they would allow any kind of vehicle on the road that could result in injury or even death. What are they thinking!?

Permalink Reply by Phillip Hutchinson on June 14, 2019 at 7:50am

Ha. Exactly.

Also "police won't actively enforce, but they could ticket you if you are riding on the sidewalk."

This is the same approach they take to vehicles blocking bike lanes, and we all know how well that works. 

Permalink Reply by David P. on June 14, 2019 at 4:30am

I predict that the big trouble will be limited to Chinatown. ;)

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on June 14, 2019 at 7:17am

Of course. Yeah, with all that smashing and tossing in nearest body of water, let's see how this drama plays out and how we must share the road with these new modes of transport.

Permalink Reply by Cooper Hofstad on June 17, 2019 at 7:30am

There needs to be a LIKE button for deep pulls like this.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on June 15, 2019 at 11:33am

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/6/14/18679336/electric-scooters-c...

"the scooters can be parked in bike racks ... !"   Trouble !

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on June 17, 2019 at 4:45am

Still there since Saturday never used. Now knocked over into the curb.  Never been picked up over night (10pm-5am) to be cleared from the street and recharged.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on June 17, 2019 at 11:09am

Sight seen: Children ~12yrs old riding rented electric scooters by their parents to play with going full speed ~15mph on the sidewalks from the neighborhoods into the business areas!

Permalink Reply by Phillip Hutchinson on June 18, 2019 at 4:13am

I saw this happening in Louisville a few weeks ago as well. Was pretty surprised to see parents unlocking scooters for their kids to play with while they sat at an outdoor cafe eating and drinking as their 10-15 y.o. kids zipped up and down the (busy) sidewalks for hours, jumping them off of curbs, crashing into each other, etc. I will say, the kids and parents seemed to be having a great time and no one got hurt, but it was annoying. 

I have no idea what the solution is here. I don't think Chicago police are really going to enforce sidewalk riding (and aren't kids allowed to ride bikes on sidewalks anyway?) and although parents are clearly violating the terms of service, I'm not sure what scooter companies can do to prevent this.

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