Deaths revive debate on lakefront e-scooters
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A Lime scooter is left at the ramp leading to the Lakefront Trail at Roscoe. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
While Lime and Divvy scooters riders can travel freely on most busy Chicago streets, they're electronically barred from the relatively safe Lakefront Trail.
- People riding privately owned e-scooters, however, ride up and down the trail every day.
Why it matters: This summer, Mayor Brandon Johnson told Axios he didn't think it was fair that private e-scooters can operate along the trail while shared scooters can't, and that he'd consider a policy change.
- But recent tragic collisions between shared e-scooters and cars have pushed the question beyond an equity issue and into a safety issue.
Catch up quick: Back in 2023 and 2024, e-scooter company Lime lobbied the city to open up the Lakefront Trail to shared scooters. They cited data showing that 85% of those surveyed favored opening the trail to e-scooters. Some said it would help them get to work and events downtown.
- Despite openness to the change among lakefront alders including Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, the effort failed to gather steam.
What they're saying: "The difference between private and shared e-scooters is that we are able to geofence the shared-use scooters to keep them from being used on the lakefront trail," Park District officials told Axios suggesting that they don't want private scooters on the trail either.
Friction point: District officials say they're banned on the Trail and 606 because of "high use and congestion in these areas."
- But Lime officials say they can easily control the shared scooters to slow them down in congested areas, controls not available on private scooters.
Zoom out: Chicago's shared e-scooter ridership ballooned to more than 6 million trips last year.
- But accidents in Chicago and across the nation have also ballooned.
- While the city stopped separately recording e-scooter accidents in recent years, local hospitals tell Axios they're seeing record numbers emergency room patients with severe injuries after using the vehicles.
- Illinois Secretary of State and mayoral candidate Alexi Giannoulias has pushed new regulations on scooters and other micromobility devices, but they don't kick in until Jan. 1, 2027.
What's next: A renewed push could be coming.
- LeAaron Foley of Lime tells Axios that company reps are in "active discussions" with stakeholders and "believe there's a way to do this successfully and responsibly, including with high-tech solutions to potential approaches like mandatory parking zones and slow speed zones."
Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the Park District's statement that it technically prohibits all e-scooters on the Lakefront Trail, even if it is only able to geofence out shared scooter riders.