Just as Bird scooters were brought into Milwaukee with hopes of being a fun and new transportation around the city, the City Attorney's office is warning people they could be fined for riding them.
Bird scooters are not allowed to be operated on streets and sidewalks in the city of Milwaukee, per current state statute.
According to the City Attorney's office, "under no circumstances may motorized scooters operate on a public street because they are not designed for on-street use. If motorized scooters were designed for on-street use, they would be subject to federal safety standards and manufacturer certifications. Further, regulations pertaining to the operation of motor vehicles apply equally on sidewalks and streets as both are part of the public highway right-of-way."
The scooters, which are accessed through a smartphone app, were planned to compete with Bublr bikes as a more eco-friendly form of transportation. And unlike the Bublr bikes however, the Bird scooters did not have to be re-racked at another Bird station. Instead, riders were encouraged to simply put the scooters "out of the way" of public pathways.
Other cities have seen some safety issues with the scooters. In California, a mother and daughter were hurt riding them. They weren’t wearing helmets, which the company highly urges riders to wear.
The scooters are available for rides as of yesterday and only cost you $1 to start the scooter and are only an extra $0.15 every minute after.
Those who choose to ride the scooters on a city sidewalk or street could face a $98 citation for operating an unregistered vehicle upon a highway.
For more rules riders need to be aware of, click here.
