Last summer, the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works launched its Dockless Scooter Pilot Study to look at the use of dockless scooters by Bird, Lime and Spin – which all participated in the pilot study.
Although the study ran though the end of 2019, all three companies pulled their scooters by the end of November.
On Wednesday, the DPW analysis of the study and a dozen recommendations were released.
The goal of the study had been to consider scooters as a means for increasing transportation options in the city and expanding access to transportation, as well as evaluating the impact of scooter use on the city’s public rights of way.
A public survey was also part of the report.
You can view the full report here.
According to the survey website, “The 2019 Dockless Scooter Pilot Study proved to be a success in many ways. The high ridership demonstrates latent demand for new transportation options, and 58.4 percent of survey respondents cited ‘more transportation options in Milwaukee’ as an important or very important benefit of dockless scooters. Smaller, electric, shared vehicles also have the potential to assist in achieving other City goals around health, equity, safer streets and climate change.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the way people move. Travel patterns have been disrupted by work from home arrangements and restrictions on transit ridership. It is impossible to know what residents’ and visitors’ transportation needs will be in 2021. A second pilot study will give the City the flexibility it needs to respond to changes in transportation.”
In the meantime, a list of recommendations that will be incorporated into the 2021 Dockless Scooter Pilot Study was released and they are:
- Reconfigure zones to encourage usage in other areas of the city
- Increase allowable fleet size to encourage usage in other parts of the city
- Revise fee structure to include a reduced per scooter fee and a new per trip fee
- Require operators to conduct regular safety and educational events to promote safe riding and proper parking
- Clarify parking requirements and eliminate the 2-hour grace period that allows operators to remedy parking violations once notified
- Add scooter parking violations to the City’s “Click 4 Action” online and app-based service request portal
- Work with operators to install and promote painted parking corrals throughout high demand areas
- Require operators to include a plan for incorporating scooters that accommodate people of varying abilities
- Require operators to maintain a severe weather policy
- Specify the font size and location of information required on scooters
- Establish a 24-hour idle time policy for scooters so scooters cannot remain unused in the same place for more than one day
- Enter into an agreement with a third party data manager prior to beginning the 2021 pilot study
The DPW said staff will collaborate with residents, community partners, other City of Milwaukee and agency staff, elected officials, operators and other stakeholders to develop complete regulations for the 2021 Dockless Scooter Pilot study, which is expected to begin in spring.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
