The City of Chicago has granted permission to three shared e-scooter companies to operate in the 2020 e-scooter pilot: Bird, Lime and Spin. The 2020 pilot will run four months from mid-August to mid-December. Each company will deploy up to 3,333 scooters throughout the City of Chicago for a total of 10,000 scooters citywide.
For the 2020 pilot, the City drafted updated rules and minimum requirements based on the results of last year’s pilot and feedback from residents and community organizations. In order to select participating e-scooter companies, the City developed questions and objective criteria designed to help determine which companies are most able to meet the City’s goals and which companies are able to run a service that goes above and beyond our minimum requirements.
Companies will be allowed to operate citywide (see map), with the exception of the Lakefront Trail, the Central Business District and the Bloomingdale Trail (The 606). Each vendor is limited to no more than 3,333 devices, and vendors will be required to deploy at least 50% of their devices within the Equity Priority Area shown on the map. E-scooters are limited to 15 mph, cannot be ridden on sidewalks and may only be operated from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. New to the second pilot is a requirement that all e-scooters must be equipped with locks that require riders to lock the device to a fixed object to end their trip. This new requirement aims to reduce dangerous sidewalk clutter and maintain clear pathways for all Chicagoans who depend on unobstructed sidewalks, especially residents with disabilities.
Scooter Safety
Get a Helmet
All three operators in the 2020 pilot provide access to discounted or free helmets (with shipping costs).
2020 Vendor Contact Information
| Vendor | Contact Number | Webite |
|---|---|---|
| Bird | 866.205.2442 | https://www.bird.co/ |
| Lime | 888.LIME.345 | li.me |
| Spin | 888.262.5189 | www.spin.app |
Provide Your Feedback
To provide feedback on the E-scooter Share Pilot, please complete our feedback form here.
2019 Pilot and Evaluation
The City will use the 2020 pilot to better understand how shared e-scooter operations function in Chicago, to have conversations with and receive feedback from residents, and to help determine if the service should be permitted to operate in Chicago in the future. More information about the pilot can be found at the links below.
- 2020 E-scooter Share Pilot FAQ
- 2020 E-scooter Share Pilot Priorities and Objectives
- 2020 E-scooter Share Pilot Vendor Select Process
- 2020 E-scooter Share Pilot Terms and Conditions
- 2020 E-Scooter Pilot Enforcement Procedures
2019 Pilot and Evaluation
The City of Chicago conducted an e-scooter share pilot project from June 15, 2019 to October 15, 2019. The permits for 10 companies were issued by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP). The pilot tested the viability of scooters as a mobility option and was designed to maximize safety and minimize sidewalk clutter.
E-Scooter Evaluation
BACP and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) have released a report on the 2019 e-scooter pilot program. The new report, conducted by the City in partnership with the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), evaluated the impact of emerging scooter technologies on communities, on existing transportation systems and, most importantly, with regard to the safety of residents and riders.
Based on this evaluation, the City has recommended a second pilot in 2020 to build on last year’s successes, implement lessons learned and test new solutions with a goal of identifying ways to expand access to safe, reliable and equitable mobility options for Chicago residents.
Click here to read the E-Scooter Pilot Evaluation
Click here for the E-Scooter Executive Summary
E-Scooter Pilot Dataset
As a condition for participating in the E-Scooter Pilot, vendors were required to make trip data available to the City. This data was used in the E-Scooter Pilot Evaluation. This dataset has now been posted to the City’s Open Data Portal.
Click here for the E-Scooter Pilot dataset
News Releases
- City of Chicago Launches 2020 Shared E-Scooter Pilot Program with Enhanced Focus on Equity and Safety
- City of Chicago Selects Three Vendors for 2020 Shared E-Scooter Pilot Program
- City of Chicago Selects Ten Vendors for Four-Month Electric Shared Scooter Pilot Program
- City of Chicago Launches Electric Shared Scooter Pilot Program