After a local night club owner was struck and seriously injured by someone riding a Lime scooter on a sidewalk downtown, questions are being raised about rental e-scooter safety and how the devices are regulated.
Footage of the collision shows a man riding a Lime scooter on the sidewalk adjacent to bar patio seating and hitting LaCage Niteclub owner Dave Wolz. Wolz has been admitted to Froedtert Hospital and is diagnosed with three broken ribs, a broken ankle and a spinal fracture, according to a criminal complaint filed June 17.
Jonpierre Cherry, 20, was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one felony count of second-degree reckless injury. He could face up to 12 1/2 years in prison and fines up to $25,000, according to the criminal complaint.
According to the complaint, Cherry told a police officer at the scene that he knew he should not be riding the scooter on the sidewalk.
Alderman Robert Bauman, whose district includes the crash site, released a statement saying he has “had enough” and will consider proposing further scooter restrictions.
“The city’s abilities to keep scooter riders off sidewalks and to keep them from blocking public spaces (and public property) have simply proven to be inadequate,” Bauman said in the June 18 statement.
Here’s what to know about Lime’s history in Milwaukee and the rules governing e-scooters:
When did Lime begin operating in Milwaukee?
After three pilot studies, Lime began permanently operating in Milwaukee in May 2024. The city surpassed 1 million rental e-scooter rides in 2025, according to last year’s annual report.
Can I ride an e-scooter on the sidewalk in Milwaukee?
No. E-scooters can be ridden on bike lanes and local roads, but according to Milwaukee’s terms and conditions for rental e-scooter companies, the devices are not allowed to be operated on public sidewalks or the riverwalk.
Some Lime scooters feature what the company calls “Lime Vision” technology, an AI-powered camera attached to the stem of the scooter that the company claims can detect sidewalk riding.
Rental scooters being used in places other than bike lanes or streets have made headlines in recent months. In September, two men on Lime scooters mistakenly rode on I-794 across the Hoan Bridge for three miles.
Lime scooters can travel at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour, or about 22 feet per second.
Can I park an e-scooter on the sidewalk in Milwaukee?
No. Scooters being parked improperly has also been a source of contention in the city.
In August 2024, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Public Investigator unit reported on rental e-scooters being parked improperly and blocking public sidewalks, frustrating wheelchair users. Lime rolled out several mandatory parking zones one week later.
How many complaints have people filed about Lime scooters in Milwaukee?
Residents filed 266 complaints regarding Lime scooters to DPW in 2025, according to city data, up from 172 in 2024.
Three-quarters of complaints were related to improper parking and 16% were related to sidewalk riding.
How often are collisions involving Lime scooters happening in Milwaukee?
Five crashes and three injuries were reported to Lime by Milwaukee scooter riders from January to May of 2025, according to TMJ4. Twenty crashes and 15 injuries were reported in all of 2024.
A study released by NYU Langone Health in April found that trauma injuries related to electric micromobility devices, particularly those involving pedestrians, increased from 2018 to 2023. The study also found that pedestrians struck by such devices face brain injuries at nearly double the rate of riders.
How often are rental e-scooter users fined, suspended or banned in Milwaukee?
Lime issued upwards of 200,000 warnings to its scooter users in Milwaukee last year, which is almost three times the number of warnings issued in 2024, according to data from the Department of Public Works. The annual reports did not detail how many of these warnings were specifically related to improper parking, sidewalk riding or other offenses.
In addition to the warnings, Lime issued nearly 4,500 fines and 450 suspensions or bans in 2025, compared to 191 fines and 24 suspensions or bans in 2024.
How much money does the city of Milwaukee make from rental e-scooter companies?
The city collects hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from Lime and Spin via device fees, trip fees and compliance fees. Milwaukee collected upwards of $728,000 in revenue last year, up from nearly $560,000 in 2024.
In 2024, DPW told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the revenue goes into a transportation fund dedicated to “scooter-related activities” and “protected bikeways.”
In 2025, the companies paid $41,560 in compliance fees, up from $11,725 in 2024. That’s a 254% year-over-year increase.
How do I submit a complaint related to rental e-scooters to the city?
The city advises residents to report complaints related to improperly parked scooters, scooters left on private property and unsafe riding directly to Lime via email at help-milwaukee@li.me or by phone at 888-546-3345.
Issues can also be reported to the city via the MKE Mobile Action App or by calling 414-286-CITY.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lime scooter complaints are up in Milwaukee. So is revenue. What to know
Reporting by Isabella Russomanno, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isabella Russomanno, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
