About 4,000 scooters are expected to hit the streets in early May, operated by three companies and the existing Divvy bike-share program, city officials said Thursday.
Scooter companies Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian are set to collectively operate 3,000 scooters. Each will have a two-year permit effective May 10, 2022, Chicago Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Susan Hofer said.
The Divvy bike-share system, operated by Lyft, will add another 1,000 scooters that can be docked at Divvy stations in and around downtown.
To start, only Divvy scooters will operate in the downtown area, a move intended to manage the devices in a place typically crowded with pedestrians, city officials said. Incentives will be offered to encourage docking scooters at Divvy stations.
Around midsummer, the other three scooter companies will be allowed to operate scooters downtown if they meet performance goals, the city said.
Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian will be required to deploy half their scooters in “equity priority areas,” which cover many South and West side neighborhoods, the city said.
“A scooter program offers another easy way for residents and visitors to choose active transportation to get around Chicago,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “As transportation costs go up, it is critical that we support micromobility solutions like shared bikes and scooters, which provide affordable ways to travel in Chicago without needing a car.”
The full scooter program follows two e-scooter pilots that drew support, but also complaints of unsafe riding and pushback from aldermenwho said riders were knocking people over on sidewalks and leaving the devices strewn about when they were finished riding.
During the new program, all scooters will have cable-locking technology and technology to detect riding on sidewalks, city officials said. Scooters will not be allowed on the Lakefront Trail, The 606, the Riverwalk or at Navy Pier.
The scooter companies set their own prices, but all must provide a low-income option, cash payments and access for riders without smartphones. During an earlier scooter pilot in 2019 prices varied by company, with most unlocking for $1 plus 15 cents a minute.
Divvy scooters will be available under existing membership programs, including the bike-share system’s program for low-income residents. When Divvy scooters launch, the city and Lyft will add a monthly $10 credit for a year to accounts in the low-income program, which can be used for up to 200 minutes on an e-bike, city officials said.
Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian were selected from among six applicants, which also included companies Bird, Helbiz and Veo.
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