Electric Rental Scooters Coming to Chicago in June
Chicago is aiming to make transportation within the city easier. This summer, they will be introducing electric scooters, to see if they’re a viable transportation option for the citizens of Chicago. It will start on June 15 and continue until October 15. While the e-scooters are coming to some areas like Avondale, Austin, Pilsen, and South Lawndale, the scooters will not be available in the Loop or Lakefront communities.
This is because they’re testing a small, concentrated area to see how the electric rental scooters affect it. It’s part of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s mobility task force. Halsted Street, Irving Park Road, and Harlem Avenue will outline the area that will get the scooters. The electric scooters will operate similarly to Chicago’s bike sharing programs. You use an app to find and pay for a scooter and then take it to your destination.
The e-scooters could bring many perks to Chicago. They’re environmentally friendly, reduce car congestion on the road, and give people more cost-effective options for transportation. In the testing area, there will be about 2,500 to 3,500 scooters available. While the rideshare company has not been chosen, both Lime and Bird are possible options.
But the program needs to success before electric scooters are permanently ingrained in Chicago. There are some concerns about the scooters. Some are worried about the accidents and injuries they could cause, while there’s also the nuisance of having scooters piled up on sidewalks. People are supposed to park them where they’re out of the way, but that would mean that every single person who uses them would need to do this. While most people may do their best to park the scooter properly, others may not fulfill that responsibility. This also isn’t considering someone who is in a rush or has something more pressing than parking a scooter at the front of their mind.
The city has some precautions in place to help keep the sidewalks clear. Scooters cannot block loading zones, bus stops, or doors. If there are complaints about scooters to vendors, they have to respond and solve the issue within two hours. There’s also a curfew for scooters. They will not be available after 10 p.m. and before 5 a.m. It’s also important to note that these devices are not meant for sidewalks. With these precautions in place, there’s a strong chance that these scooters could be successful and promote more people to use other modes of transportation than cars.
While e-scooters could bring positive change, the service may also bring potential hazards. Negligent riders could easily cause e-scooter accidents that may result in serious injuries. If your life has been impacted by this type of accident, we may be able to help.
