Survey Says: Fear of Cars Drives Scooter Riders to Sidewalks

An email survey of scooter riders in Salt Lake City would seem to make the case for more robust investment in high-quality active transportation infrastructure.

1 minute read

October 17, 2019, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Salt Lake City, Utah

Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock

Taylor Stevens shares findings of a recent study conducted by Lime about scooter rider behavior in Salt Lake City.

"The email survey of 614 Lime users whose latest ride was in Salt Lake City found that sidewalk ridership increases by 310% when no bike lane is available; when one is, 82.2% say they ride in it," writes Stevens.

"Seven in 10 respondents said they would never ride on sidewalks if there were protected bike lanes, and more than 50% said painted bike lanes would help. Nearly half said greater enforcement of scooter regulations by police with a $50 ticket would have the same effect."

According to Stevens, sidewalk scooting has been one of the largest challenges reported with the four scooter share companies currently operating in the city. One hospital reported a 160 percent spike in emergency room visits involving electric scooters in September 2018 compared to the previous year (electric scooter companies weren't in operation during the same time period the previous year).

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 in The Salt Lake Tribune

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

A pencil rendering of Foundry Park, which shows skyscrapers and public green spaces.

Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment

The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.

October 23, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A swamp in South Carolina with tall pale trees and Spanish moss in the water.

Satanic Place Names

From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.

2 hours ago - The Daily Yonder

A rendering of a high speed rain station in California, with wide platforms and a sleep train with yellow highlights.

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal

Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.

October 30 - Cal Matters

 A bridge stretches across the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states

Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.

October 30 - South Dakota Searchlight