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Chicago Study Finds E‑Scooters Boost Short Rideshare, Cut Bikeshare, Raise Street Crime

Researchers released an interactive app to help cities model localized effects before future rollouts.

Overview

  • Peer-reviewed findings from Chicago’s 2019 pilot show a 15.7% increase in short rideshare trips and a 7.6% drop in bikeshare where e‑scooters were available.
  • Reported street- and vehicle-related crimes rose 17.9% in areas with scooters, with younger neighborhoods seeing a 20.6% increase.
  • Impacts were uneven across communities, with higher-minority areas experiencing larger jumps in ridesharing and crime while bikeshare substitution was strongest in lower-minority areas.
  • The study estimates over 800 metric tons of additional annual CO2 linked to scooter-driven trip patterns alongside about $8.1 million in ridesharing revenues.
  • Using 41 weeks of data and a generalized synthetic control method, researchers analyzed more than eight million rideshare trips, 750,000 bikeshare rides, and detailed crime reports across 866 census tracts, and recommend protected lanes, safety campaigns, crime-limiting rollout designs, and community engagement.