MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee city leaders are considering slowing Lime scooters to a maximum of 5 miles per hour in the downtown area and raising fines for sidewalk riding from $10-$20 to $100-$200.
The proposals come a week after a man was hit and seriously injured by someone riding a Lime scooter on a Milwaukee sidewalk.
District 4 Alder Bob Bauman said the future of Lime scooters in Milwaukee depends on addressing the sidewalk riding problem.
"This is sort of the scooter's last chance to stay viable in the city of Milwaukee is to find a solution to this sidewalk riding problem," Bauman said.
Bauman said sidewalk riding has become a widespread and dangerous issue in several Milwaukee neighborhoods.
"Sidewalk riding is rampant, as anyone who spends any time in downtown Walkers Point, the East Side, the Third Ward will attest, is rampant, and it's dangerous, as evidenced by the serious accident that occurred last week," Bauman said.
Watch: Milwaukee leaders propose slower Lime scooters, steeper sidewalk fines; riders split on plan
Not everyone supports the idea of slower scooters. Lime scooter rider Jacques Lareau said lower speeds could create new safety concerns for riders sharing the road with vehicles.
"I prefer them to go faster, more or less. I think it'd be more safe for me, like when I'm driving with traffic instead of holding up traffic, and then they'd fly by you to get around you and stuff. So, personally, if we have to be on the road, you'd think they'd go a little bit faster," Lareau said.
Lime scooter rider Jenna Washuleski said she has noticed safety concerns firsthand but wants scooters to remain in Milwaukee.
"I see people using them on sidewalks all the time, and just kind of like whizzing past you, and so, like, even when I'm walking my dog, it can feel like a safety concern," Washuleski said.
Washuleski said riders need to put safety first and that there should be more education on where to ride and dock scooters.
"This is one of those things where we don't want to ruin a good thing because we're not being responsible, mindful and educated, and just really thinking about the collective. The community as a whole," Washuleski said.
Bauman said the proposals will be discussed and voted on by the Common Council sometime next week.
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