'A little competition:' Milwaukee DPW approves two scooter companies to be a part of pilot study
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works approved Bird and Spin to participate in the City's Dockless Scooter Pilot Study.
Bird and Spin will join Lime, whose application was approved in June. Each is allowed 350 scooters.
“I think it's only positive to have a little competition in the market. I know a lot of people missed Bird, just liked the scooters a bit better than these ones, so if you are Lime, watch out a little bit," said scooter-rider Mark Curran.
All three scooters cost a dollar to unlock, but each has their own set price on how much it will cost per minute. On the app, Lime is 25 cents per minute and Bird is 29 cents per minute. Spin does not have a price just yet.
Both Spin and Bird do not show any scooters in the Milwaukee area through their apps.
“There’s just going to be more availability so I don’t have to look for them when I need one," said Ola Zylka, scooter-user.
On August 2, DPW put a pause on the pilot because users were not following the rules of the road.
“The future of scooters in Milwaukee will be dependent on the companies making sure the customers know that they cannot be ridden on the sidewalk and placed in places that won't cause problems," said Mayor Tom Barrett.
Since then, DPW has been in close communication with operators to promote proper usage. In the announcement, they urged users not to ride on the sidewalk and to park responsibly, making sure it did not block pedestrian access.
DPW says it will continue to collect data and monitor public feedback. The pilot is scheduled until the end of the year, and DPW can suspend it anytime.
“It's only going to work if people are respectful of our laws, and that means both the companies who are renting out the scooters and the individuals who are riding them," said Barrett.