Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Baltimore May Imprison E-Scooter Speeders

An e-scooter share program is coming to The Bronx this year.

Ride a scooter too fast in Baltimore and you may end up in jail.

New rules being discussed in the City Council would limit speeds on sidewalks to six miles per hour and 15 miles per hour on the street, with penalties ranging from a $20 ticket to a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $1,000 fine, the Baltimore Sun reports.

By comparison, most driving violations — even dangerous ones like speeding or running a red light — are considered infractions, not misdemeanors. Only very serious driving behavior like reckless driving, DUI or hit-and-runs are considered misdemeanors or worse.

Advocates for non-car-based mobility were incensed.

"We understand from the city that the criminal penalty was intended to apply only to vendors, not to users of scooters and bikes," Jed Weeks, policy director at the bike advocacy group Bikemore told Streetsblog. "However, this is not clear in the ordinance. We strongly oppose any language that would criminalize people who are just trying to stay alive on dangerous streets in a city that refuses to invest in safe and separated infrastructure."

Weeks says the organization has other concerns about the legislation as well.

Bikemore's Liz Cornish told Streetsblog recently that e-scooters have been game changing in Charm City, providing a low-cost transportation option in a city that is lacking adequate public transportation and has no city-sponsored bike share. About 180,000 people have registered as user of either Lime or Bird scooters in the last six months.

As e-scooters have proliferated, there have been sporadic reports that riders comprised the vast majority of people who have been injured. No scooter rider has killed a pedestrian, but each year in America, drivers kill tens of thousands of people — including thousands of pedestrians and, sometimes, people on scooters.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

New Bill Would Block Apps From Deactivating Workers Without Cause

A Brooklyn Council member wants delivery app companies to be more human and less robot.

July 18, 2025

Friday Video: Is Berlin a Great Biking City?

Have recent moves by anti-bike, pro-car legislators ruined the experience in the capital of a unified Germany? Sort of!

July 18, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Meeker Avenue Bike Lane Is a Failure

The Department of Transportation still hasn't finished a critical bike lane under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that the agency has been stalling for over four years even after identifying the strip's danger and lack of proper signals.

July 18, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Cuomo’s Road Rage Edition

Why does Andrew Cuomo drive so recklessly? Plus other news.

July 18, 2025

Fixing Third Ave. Was Once ‘Top of List’ For Eric Adams — But as Mayor He Backed Off

Mayor Adams has delayed a redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue despite once saying safety fixes there should be "at the top of our list."

July 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Jerry Nadler Edition

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler faced off with Sean Duffy on Capitol Hill. Plus more news.

July 17, 2025
See all posts