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Updated March 26, 2025 — A wave of safety concerns over e-scooters is stalling long-promised shared mobility hubs in several U.S. cities, putting bike-sharing, e-bike, and electric vehicle rental programs on uncertain hold. The Department of Transportation (DOT) confirmed that funding for all public e-scooter pilot schemes has been paused for review, after a sharp rise in serious injuries linked to the devices.
The pilot hubs — originally approved in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, and Denver — were designed to offer pay-as-you-go access to bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-cargo bikes, and electric cars. They were part of a broader push to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and lower transport emissions. However, the inclusion of e-scooters in the mix has now become a stumbling block.
“We need to reassess the business case and safety implications before proceeding,” a DOT spokesperson said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will coordinate with local transit authorities as the review progresses. The pause affects both new pilot launches and expansions of existing shared mobility programs.
Sustainable transport advocates have strongly criticized the decision. “It’s a huge step backwards,” said Maria Chen, policy director at the Coalition for Active Transportation. “Instead of banning e-scooters outright, the agencies could simply remove them from the hubs and let bike, e-bike, and EV sharing move forward. But they’re letting a perfect solution be the enemy of a good one.”
The hubs were first proposed in 2023 by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as part of the Biden administration’s climate agenda. They were labelled “one of the most important pilot projects” for urban mobility in 2024. Following the 2024 election and a shift in federal leadership, the hubs remained a stated priority in the current administration’s infrastructure plan released in early 2025.
But rising accident statistics have shifted political will. According to NHTSA data, emergency room visits for e-scooter-related traumatic brain injuries rose by nearly 50% nationwide in the past 12 months. Children’s hospitals in major metro areas report a growing number of serious, life-changing injuries involving riders without helmets or riding illegally on sidewalks.
In response, several cities have tightened e-scooter regulations. New York, for example, now requires all e-scooter operators to cap speeds at 15 mph and enforce mandatory helmet use through app-based verification. Seattle has temporarily revoked permits for two major scooter companies after a spate of collisions. Los Angeles is considering geofencing to restrict scooters from high-traffic pedestrian zones.
“The government is right to address safety, but this should not come at the cost of killing shared bike and EV programs that are proven to reduce car trips,” said James Turner, founder of the Micromobility Coalition. “You can regulate e-scooters without scrapping the entire hub concept.”
Turner noted that many European cities have successfully run hubs with separate, clearly marked zones for e-scooters and slower bikes. “We could adopt tiered speed limits, mandatory safety courses, and stricter enforcement of parking rules. That would preserve the environmental benefits without endangering pedestrians.”
A newly released study from the University of California, Davis, shows that shared mobility hubs — even those including e-scooters — lead to a 12% reduction in personal vehicle trips within a one-mile radius after six months of operation. The same study found that hubs without e-scooters achieved a 9% reduction, suggesting that e-scooters do add value for short trips, but also carry higher injury rates.
“The policy choice isn’t binary,” said lead researcher Dr. Keisha Williams. “If we can manage e-scooter risks through infrastructure design and enforcement, the net public health benefit is positive. But if we ban them outright, we lose a mode that replaces many car trips for the last mile.”
The DOT review is expected to take at least 90 days, meaning no new hubs will launch before mid-2025. Existing bike-share systems — such as Citi Bike in New York and Divvy in Chicago — will continue operating but cannot expand under the frozen pilot funding.
Former Transportation Secretary Buttigieg criticized the pause in a statement, calling it “a politically motivated overreaction” that undermines climate progress. “If the issue is e-scooters, then exclude them,” he said. “Don’t hold hostage the bike sharing, car sharing, and EV charging that millions of Americans need to get around without cars.”
The current administration has defended the pause as necessary to protect public safety. “We are committed to sustainable mobility, but not at any cost,” a White House spokesperson said. “We will work with mayors and transit authorities to find a path forward that balances innovation with safety.”
Meanwhile, in Congress, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the Safe Micromobility Act, which would create federal standards for e-scooter design, speed limiting, and rider education. If passed, it could unlock federal funding for shared mobility hubs that meet new safety benchmarks.
For now, cities like Austin and Denver have pushed forward with standalone bike-sharing expansions, while Los Angeles has launched a small e-cargo bike pilot without e-scooters. But the comprehensive hub vision — a one-stop shop for multiple shared modes — remains on ice.
Consumers hoping for integrated, app-based access to bikes, scooters, and EVs in one location may have to wait until 2026 at the earliest. In the meantime, advocates urge cities to decouple e-scooter regulation from other shared mobility investments.
“You don’t need to throw out the whole playbook because one play is risky,” said Chen. “We can still make progress on congestion and emissions while we figure out safer e-scooter rules.”
With pressure mounting from climate groups, safety advocates, and the private sector, the DOT review will be closely watched. The outcome could set a precedent for how U.S. cities approach the delicate balance between promoting green transport and protecting vulnerable street users.
