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E-Scooter trial ends in Milwaukee

Posted at 2:09 PM, Dec 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-05 15:09:37-05

MILWAUKEE — It's the end of the 2019 E-Scooter era.

The three scooter companies, Spin, Bird, and Lime, have all chosen to end operations for the rest of the year, according to the Milwaukee Department of Public Works. As part of the pilot program agreement, the companies originally had until Dec. 31 to reduce its fleet size due to weather but elected to do so earlier.

TODAY'S TMJ4 looked for available scooters on each app and couldn't find any in the city.

When scooters came to Milwaukee it was a hot debate. There were passionate people for and against scooters. A few people reported scooter-related injuries too. Some riders even took the scooters on highways.

Now that the pilot program is over, it's unclear what will happen after winter ends and the roads become ride-able for scooters again. Milwaukee DPW has created a survey for residents to express their opinions. It will be open until Dec. 31.

In the meantime, DPW said that it is communicating with various community groups, city/county departments, and elected officials to determine what the future of scooters in the city will be. DPW said it will make that decision in "early 2020."