One of the two electric scooter companies operating in Milwaukee has launched a new initiative to get riders to park their scooters properly after a series of residents' complaints.
Lime rolled out its "Parking Blitz" plan on Monday, which will introduce mandatory parking zones in high-traffic areas such as the Historic Third Ward, Brady Street, North Avenue and South Shore Park. The mandatory parking zones are highlighted for riders in the Lime app.
The system is "set up so that people cannot end their rides via the Lime app when they are not at the right place in a mandatory parking zone," said Calvin Elmore, Lime Operations Manager for Milwaukee.
The company's announcement came one week after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Public Investigator published a story online featuring Nick Rozwadowski , who works at a retirement community and shared his frustrations after finding two Lime scooters blocking a sidewalk on Brady Street.
"I thought how not only a disabled individual could not get through, but also how difficult it would be for an elderly person using a walker to use the sidewalk," he wrote in an email to Public Investigator, adding he already had reached out to his alderman and other local officials who said they could not do anything about the problem.
The city of Milwaukee installed over 100 e-scooter parking corrals several years ago, so Lime's campaign will work in tandem with pre-established parking zones.
Lime already employs a full-time staff member who patrols the city for improperly parked scooters, another staff member to review end-of-trip parking photos submitted by riders and send warnings if needed, and a "foot patrol team" that travels across the city to repark vehicles, according to Elmore.
"We are investing heavily in staff and technological solutions to improve parking and we’re launching a multifaceted campaign to educate riders on how to ride safely and park properly, especially in key areas like Downtown and the lower East side," he said in a news release.
In May, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced that dockless scooters would return to the city permanently.
Since then, residents have documented scooters parked across bike lanes, sidewalks and in front of curb cuts used by wheelchair users and others. Residents have said they're more likely to fall and damage their wheelchairs or other mobility devices when the scooters block their paths.
Milwaukee residents and visitors have taken more than 426,000 trips since the May launch of the city's permanent scooter program, averaging over 4,000 rides a day, according to a Lime representative. In the past year, the company has increased the number of scooters in Milwaukee by 900. Ridership has risen 86% so far this summer compared to last summer, the company representative said.
Rider education will play a significant role in the Parking Blitz program, the company said in a written statement. Lime plans to communicate frequently with riders about safe riding and parking through in-person events and activations, social media, email and a new educational poster campaign at Bublr Bike stations.
The two scooter companies in the city, Lime and Spin, have two hours to respond to complaints of improperly parked scooters, Tiffany Shepherd, the spokesperson for the city's Department of Public Works, told the Journal Sentinel in an earlier interview.
If the parking problem is not addressed, then the company and riders are subject to disciplinary fines. Every improperly parked scooter that the city relocates results in a $25 fine for the companies, she said.
If scooter users have repeated offenses of improper parking or unsafe riding, they can be banned from using the apps. The new mandatory parking zone rules will be used to evaluate fines. If a user parks outside of a mandatory parking zone, they will be warned and subsequently fined.
Currently, the mandatory parking areas include Wauwatosa Village, North Avenue near Mayfair Mall, the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, Historic Third Ward, South Shore Park, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Brady Street and North Avenue on Milwaukee's east side, American Family Field and Potawatomi Casino.
Things to keep in mind when parking an electric scooter
Scooter users are advised to use street parking lanes or the sidewalk to park. In addition:
- Ensure that your scooter is upright and not lying across pedestrian areas.
- Leave at least four feet of unobstructed passage on sidewalks and pedestrian pathways when parking.
- Do not block driveways, entryways, curb ramps, transit stops, parklets, loading zones, accessible parking spaces, or parking meters.
- Use the City of Milwaukee e-scooter corrals.
Pedestrians who see improperly parked devices are advised to immediately call Lime at (888) 546-3345 or Spin at (888) 249-9698. People can also contact Lime at help-milwaukee@li.me and Spin at support@spin.pm .
It is permitted to move the scooter to prevent it from blocking a pathway.
For general feedback or questions about the dockless scooter program, citizens can contact the city's Multimodal Transportation team at move@milwaukee.gov
Issues related to improperly parked scooters, scooters left on private property, unsafe riding, and more can also be reported to the city via the MKE Mobile Action App or by calling 414-286-CITY.
Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at tfowlkes@gannett.com .
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: After complaints of blocked sidewalks and bike lanes, e-scooter company rolls out new parking rules
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