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MKE electric scooters; city sees economic boost
Electric scooters just officially launched in May, and Milwaukee is already feeling the economic impact.
MILWAUKEE - Electric scooters just officially launched in May, and Milwaukee is already feeling the economic impact.
Since the dockless scooter program started, the city has had over 588,000 trips.
That has brought in over $436,000 in revenue in the city. The scooter companies pay the city $100 for each scooter deployed, and 25 cents for each ride.
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In August alone, the ridership was up 53% compared to last year.
It's hard to miss these scooters, as you can find them on nearly every corner throughout Milwaukee.
"It's just been a great way for me to get around, especially without having a car out here. I use them almost every day," University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Anthony Buford said. "Usually I’ll use it to go to the beach whenever I want to be by myself. Or I’ll use it to get food and things like that."
They're also proving popular with people like Lauren McClimon, who was visiting the city.
"We saw them and thought we might try them out," she said. "It's a lot easier to get to places."
In August alone, ridership was up 53% compared to last year.
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While some are in favor of the scooters, city officials said they have received complaints about improper parking and riding on sidewalks.
"But given the level of demand and frankly, given the revenue that is generated, it looks like we’re going to be stuck with these problems," Alderman Bob Bauman said. "And given these numbers, I have a strong support for these scooters on the council, even if I were to raise a fuzz to try to modify this program or restrict it, I don’t think that would pass the council."
Leaders are taking steps to improve the scooter program for everyone.
"We’re always trying to make the scooter experience better for people who use the scooters and people who don’t," said Department of Public Works senior transportation planner Zac Roder.