Chicagoans took over 60,000 e-scooter rides in first week of city’s pilot program

The recent cold, rainy weather hasn’t kept Chicagoans from participating in the city’s dockless electric scooter pilot program. Riders logged more than 60,000 trips during the program’s first full week, from June 15 to June 21, the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) revealed on Tuesday. Roughly 11,000 of the rides took place in the first weekend alone.

The four-month-long pilot granted permits to ten companies to bring up to 250 scooters each to a designated zone on the city’s West and Northwest sides. Their sudden overnight appearance met somewhat mixed reviews, including common complaints about improper parking and illegal riding on sidewalks as well as the 606 Trail.

The city will continue to evaluate electric scooters as well as the ten participating companies before deciding how to move forward. Each vendor will be judged on their nightly “rebalancing efforts,” compliance with parking and educational requirements, and accessibility solutions for individuals with disabilities, according to the BACP.

Compared to some other large cities, Chicago might seem relatively late to the e-scooter party. However, the deliberate and careful approach allows officials an opportunity to see what works best—especially in areas of the city underserved by Chicago’s Divvy bike share network.

As the weather improves and more residents download the various dockless scooter apps, the number of riders is likely to increase this summer.