Shared scooters are available for rent in Chicago through the Divvy bikeshare system as well as through three companies awarded business licenses to operate: Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian. The City has established rules for shared scooter operations based on these goals. The City also has developed standardized enforcement procedures to ensure that scooter licensees are providing quality service to our residents.
To report a scooter parking issue, please use the 311 system. Vendors have two hours to remedy any parking complaints.
Divvy has added scooters to its fleet, creating the first docked bike and scooter share system in the country. Divvy scooters will initially be incorporated into the central core of the system, can be parked in Divvy stations and will be available to both existing members and to non-members. The City-owned Divvy system is operated under contract by Lyft. For more information on Divvy bikes and scooters, visit divvybikes.com or call 855-553-4889.
In October 2021, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance creating a new business license category for companies to provide scooter sharing service in the city, with up to 3 two-year licenses available. CDOT and BACP launched an application process in
January 2022 and received 6 applications, which were reviewed and scored based on a rigorous process. The top-scoring applicants were awarded business licenses.
Scooter sharing license holders pay a license fee equal to $1-per-device-per-day, paid upfront for the entire duration of the two-year license period. Scooter licensees also pay a personal property lease tax equal to 9% of trip revenue. License holders are obligated to follow these Rules & Regulations. For transparency, the City has created an abbreviated summary of license holders key obligations. Scooter licensees are required to provide low-cost options for Chicagoans with financial barriers and low-tech options for those without smartphones. Visit the scooter company websites below or contact customer service for more information on these options.
In 2019 and 2020, the City of Chicago conducted a pair of four-month scooter sharing pilots to evaluate the viability of scooter sharing in Chicago, to test technology and rules and to develop a better understanding of how a more permanent program might take shape.
During the first two pilot programs, Bird was incredibly proud to meet the mobility needs of riders in Chicago. We applaud the City’s emphasis on providing fair access to transportation, and we were pleased to learn in December 2020 that Bird ridership in Priority Areas on Chicago’s west and south sides increased from 12 to 5% in 2019 to 37. 6% in 2020.
We believe that the e-scooters offer an affordable, convenient and environmentally friendly way for Chicagoans to get around the city, said Kevin OMalley, deputy commissioner of the Department of Transportation.
Birds industry-first Smart Sidewalk Protection would provide Chicago with a powerful resource to help ensure scooters are used correctly during the Citys first long-term scooter program, which is a part of CDOTs Strategic Plan that was developed in the wake of the pandemic to help address long-standing issues related to equity in the transportation system.
An ordinance that permits up to 12,500 electric scooters to operate in Chicago starting in the spring of 20226,000 of which will operate on Day Onewas approved by the City Council. For the first time, Downtown is included in this; it was not included in the city’s two prior pilot projects. Scooters with a lock-to system akin to the ones Bird has put in place in places like San Francisco and Washington, D.C. will be accessible from 5 a.m. until midnight. C.
The new program’s main component will be new technology intended to stop scooter riders from using Chicago’s sidewalks. Bird unveiled our state-of-the-art Smart Sidewalk Protection earlier this week; it’s presently undergoing testing in Milwaukee and San Diego. The most sophisticated sidewalk riding detection and prevention system currently available is provided by cutting-edge technology that combines centimeter-level sidewalk mapping with a high-precision sensor-fusion module co-developed with the GPS/GNSS positioning experts at u-blox.
An ordinance establishing a new business license category for companies offering scooter sharing services in the city was passed by the Chicago City Council in October 2021. Up to three two-year licenses are available for these companies. CDOT and BACP launched an application process in.
The City of Chicago carried out two four-month scooter sharing pilot programs in 2019 and 2020 to assess the feasibility of scooter sharing in Chicago, test regulations and technology, and gain a better understanding of how a longer-term program might be structured.
If you have a problem with a scooter’s parking, use the 311 system. Vendors have two hours to remedy any parking complaints.
Owners of scooter sharing licenses must pay an upfront license fee of $1 per device per day for the full two-year license period. Additionally, scooter license holders pay a personal property lease tax equal to 9% of trip revenue. License holders are obligated to follow these Rules & Regulations. The City has produced a condensed list of license holders’ primary responsibilities in order to promote openness. Scooter license holders must offer low-cost alternatives for Chicagoans who are struggling financially and low-tech options for people who don’t have smartphones. For more details on these choices, go to the websites of the scooter companies listed below or get in touch with customer support.
In Chicago, shared scooters can be rented via the Divvy bikeshare program and three companies that have been granted operating licenses: Lime, Spin, and Superpedestrian. Based on these objectives, the City has created regulations for the use of shared scooters. Additionally, the City has established uniform enforcement protocols to guarantee that scooter license holders are offering our citizens high-quality services.
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