City officials announced Tuesday they have directed all e-scooter companies to limit their operating hours in the city beginning Thursday at 11 p.m. The new regulations come as the city has faced a string of e-scooter-related deaths and injuries, all occurring late at night.
All scooter companies are being directed to change their hours of operation to 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily through the winter months. Companies such as Lime have already started to post curfew hour messages to Bloomington riders.
Along with the announcement, the city also reiterated other rules and regulations to riding an e-scooter:
- You must be 18 to ride.
- Protect your head by wearing a helmet.
- Yield to pedestrians.
- Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
- Use caution and follow local safety and traffic laws–follow all traffic rules including street signs, traffic lights, and stop signs.
- Travel in bike lanes or roads unless otherwise directed.
- Ride only one person per scooter at a time.
- Do not text and ride.
- Be mindful of potentially dangerous surface conditions (uneven surfaces, wet or slippery conditions, debris, grass clippings).
- Don’t block sidewalks, curb cuts, access ramps, doors, bus stops, or traffic at any time.
- Parking a scooter on a sidewalk will limit accessibility, so look for off-sidewalk parking.
- When parking, keep the scooter or bike upright and avoid uneven surfaces like gravel or steep inclines.
