For the second time in two years, the City of Chicago experimented with an e-scooter pilot program to get a feel for how electric scooters might affect daily commutes and off-hour transportation in the city. This year’s program ran from August 12 to December 12 after being delayed by the COVID-19 health crisis. City officials, however, are now wondering what to do next after ridership dropped by over 20 percent compared to last year’s program.
Larger Program, Fewer Rides
In 2019, the e-scooter pilot program ran from June to October, and it saw approximately 821,000 trips on about 2,500 electric scooters. The program also served a relatively small portion of the city, but seasonable summer weather and the novelty of the idea encouraged many people to give e-scooters a chance. This year was quite different.
For the 2020 version of the program, 10,000 scooters were available across an area four times as large as last year, but only 640,000 rides were logged this year. While the program seemed to get off to a decent start, the delay caused by the pandemic pushed the four-month experiment from the summer into the fall—which had an effect on the weather during the program. Of course, the health crisis also forced the closure of countless businesses, meaning people generally had fewer places to go.
As part of the second attempt, the city required that half of the available scooters be placed on the South and West Sides. It turns out that those two areas, however, only accounted for about a quarter of all of the rides taken—or about 160,000 rides on 5,000 scooters.
City Seeking Input
While city officials certainly could not control the weather or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are now some lingering questions about whether e-scooters should be here to stay. According to local news outlets, the city is requesting that the public voice their opinion by taking part in an online survey to determine the future of these scooters in Chicago. There has been no official word yet about what the city plans to do down the road, but another pilot program could be on the horizon—hopefully, as the city emerges from the struggles associated with this year’s health crisis.
Injured on or by a Scooter? A Chicago Scooter Injury Lawyer Can Help
Fortunately, there were not many official reports of e-scooter injuries during this year’s version of the pilot program, but electric scooters do have the potential to cause serious injuries when accidents occur. If you or a loved one was hurt while riding a scooter or by a reckless rider on a scooter, you may be entitled to seek compensation. Contact a Chicago e-scooter injury attorney at Livas Law Group, A Division of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, for guidance. Call 312-804-6102 for a free consultation today.
Sources:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-chicago-scooter-pilot-ridership-declines-coronavirs-pandemic-20201211-x52zbkagyvhb5mal7ldfkr6hj4-story.html
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/12/11/22170066/scooter-pilot-program-ridership-chicago-public-survey