Will Chicagoans Embrace Electric Scooters?

electric scooters
A man parks his rented dockless scooter outside of a restaurant in Atlanta in June. Brinley Hineman / Associated Press
electric scooters
A man parks his rented dockless scooter outside of a restaurant in Atlanta in June. Brinley Hineman / Associated Press

Will Chicagoans Embrace Electric Scooters?

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Electric scooter-sharing programs have been cropping up in major cities across the country to mixed reviews. Some cities are embracing scooters as a new mode of public transportation, while others are pushing for regulation amid safety concerns.

In Chicago, residents could begin riding electric scooters as early as next Spring. City officials will meet with scooter-sharing companies in early December to learn about their business models and how they could work in the city, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Craig May, a South Shore resident, said he’s been driving for Uber for more than three years. He said city officials need to be thoughtful about how to best integrate scooter-sharing programs in Chicago to ensure the safety of all motorists. 

“We only have so much bandwidth. Smaller vehicles like bikes and motorcycles already skirt basic traffic laws,” May told WBEZ. “Now you’re gonna add scooters to the mix? The streets are getting more and more crowded.”

Sam Kling of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs joins the Morning Shift to examine how electric scooter programs work in other cities and to discuss whether Chicago should consider rolling out electric scooters onto its streets.

GUEST: Sam Kling, Chicago Council on Global Affairs fellow

LEARN MORE: ‘I’ve seen a lot of tears’ — Electric scooter invasion generates safety concerns (NBC News 11/18/18)

What to do about scooters? Officials work on solutions as problems go on (USA Today 11/18/18)

Fast, cheap, and sometimes out of control: Is Boston ready for electric scooters? (Boston Globe 11/18/18)