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Monday night, Midland City Council will vote to approve a “memorandum of understanding” with Bird Rides, Inc. to permit a stand-up electric scooter system within the city. (Agenda screen photo/Bird Rides, Inc. )
lessPhoto: Screen PhotoMonday night, Midland City Council will vote to approve a “memorandum of understanding” with Bird Rides, Inc. to permit a stand-up electric scooter system within the city. (Agenda screen photo/Bird Rides,
... more
Monday night, Midland City Council will vote to approve a “memorandum of understanding” with Bird Rides, Inc. to permit a stand-up electric scooter system within the city. (Agenda screen photo/Bird Rides, Inc. )
lessMonday night, Midland City Council will vote to approve a “memorandum of understanding” with Bird Rides, Inc. to permit a stand-up electric scooter system within the city. (Agenda screen photo/Bird Rides,
... moreAs soon as this spring, Midland residents and visitors could see a new mode of transportation hit the streets – electric scooters.
On Feb. 8, Midland City Council gave approval to Bird Rides, Inc. to operate a fleet of about 100 stand-up electric scooters throughout the city.
The scooters offer a flexible, sustainable and fun way to move about the city. It can offer residents without vehicles a way to work as well as offer tourists a fun activity.
During the council meeting, Bird spokesperson Michael Covato helped answer some of the following questions. An additional Bird spokesperson helped provide additional information to the Daily News to curate this list of everything you need to know before Bird e-scooters appear this spring.
Why Bird?
Bird Rides, Inc. is a Santa Monica, California-based company that also operates a fleet of e-scooters in Detroit. However, it’s not the only shared electric scooter company out there. Others you might have heard of include companies like Lime, Spin and Razor.
However, Bird Rides was the company to approach the City at this time to implement a fleet. Representatives determined Midland would be a good market and engaged in conversations with city staff.
What makes Bird’s e-scooters unique?
Bird e-scooters have their own unique features, such as "warm-up mode," which gently accelerates the scooter up to speed, allowing the rider to become comfortable before going faster.
Another unique feature is the “quick start” option, which is for experienced riders, that automatically detects when a Bird scooter is in range and offers riders the opportunity to unlock it with the tap of a button.
In addition, Bird has a “helmet selfie” program that rewards the rider for wearing a helmet. If they submit a picture of themselves wearing a helmet, they receive a credit for their next ride.
How much will these cost the city?
There is no upfront cost or investment to have the e-scooters operate in the city, since Bird will profit from them being here. Bird only required a Memorandum of Understanding from the city.
However, Covato explained to council that they would make the effort to have a working relationship with the city to make the launch and long-term maintenance smooth and successful.
“In terms of a commitment, we simply want the support or the understanding of the city before we do a launch so that you know that you have someone you can reach out to here internally,” Covato said.
How will these impact the city?
The e-scooters are meant to act as a complementary option of transportation, to supplement current options in Midland. They cover what Covato called “the last mile,” which means the scooters help transport pedestrians all the way to their ultimate destination. For example, if a person drives from their home to downtown Midland and parks in the Larkin parking garage, a scooter could transport them directly to a local shop or eatery downtown.
If after a year, the scooter fleet is not working out or isn't being used, Bird can remove the fleet from the city.
During the Feb. 8 council meeting, Covato provided these statistics:
- 56% of rides end in front of a local business.
- For Midland, it will cost, on average, $5 for a typical ride, as 60% of rides in the U.S. are less than five miles.
- The scooters have increased accessibility to jobs by 16% by offering a mode of transportation to someone who otherwise would not have a reliable way to get to work.
How does renting a scooter work?
To hire an e-scooter, you will have to download the Bird app via a smartphone and create an account. Each e-scooter contains a URL code that can be scanned by the phone’s camera within the app to unlock it.
Once unlocked and paid for, the ride can begin. Riders begin by kick-starting the e-scooter to get it moving. Once at a minimum speed, the electric motor engages to power the e-scooter forward. There is also a manual brake for users.
Ending the ride is as simple as tapping a button in the app and snapping a picture of the parked scooter.
Who can use them?
Users must be 18 or older to operate a Bird e-scooter. The app will ask users to submit a photo of their ID. It can also be a great alternative to biking for someone who has knee pain, is wearing high heels and/or is wearing a dress.
How much does it cost?
An average 15-20-minute ride will cost users between $5-7. It costs $1 to use the scooter and then users are charged an additional per-minute fee. According to a Bird spokesperson, the per-minute fee is determined based on city-specific criteria.
Where can they go/not go?
Using a geo-fencing technology, Bird can program where the scooters can and can’t travel. They are intended to be used on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less, on sidewalks and trails. The City of Midland will encourage riders to avoid sidewalks when an appropriate street is available.
However, initially, the Pere Marquette Rail Trail will be off limits, since it is already heavily used by bicyclists and pedestrians. If a scooter is taken to an off-limits area, it will slow down to 1.5 mph and start beeping and flashing, and the rider will get a notification telling them to return to the designated ride areas.
“In general, I think you’ll find that people tend to self-police,” Covato said. “If they did not feel comfortable taking a bicycle on a street, they would not be taking one of these scooters. So, I don’t think you’ll see these on the highway, essentially.”
In addition, the scooters can tackle hills with a 20% grade or less. Bird operates in hilly terrains, such as in San Francisco, and Covato said he has no doubt the scooters could tackle Midland’s hills.
How many e-scooters will there be in Midland?
About 100.
When would they be installed?
The exact launch date is yet to be determined for Midland; however, a Bird spokesperson said the e-scooters will likely arrive sometime this spring, when the weather changes. At that time, Midland Director of Planning and Community Development Grant Murschel said the city wants to host a launch event in collaboration with Bird to engage residents.
Who will manage the fleet of scooters locally?
Bird is looking to partner with local individuals and organizations to maintain the fleet of scooters in what it calls its “Fleet Manager program.” The chosen individuals will be provided the data-backed education necessary to manage the fleet successfully.
“This will likely be a fairly small group of individuals dedicated to the task,” a Bird spokesperson told the Daily News. “At this time, we are unable to commit to a specific figure.”
During a council meeting, Covato explained that the managers will essentially be running the business in town.
“We can provide, again, at no upfront cost, the technology that has hundreds of millions of R&D dollars behind it from a multi-billion dollar company directly to somebody within the community to essentially launch their own business, with full support and backing from Bird on an ongoing basis," he said.
Are these safe to use amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
Covato said scooters are one of the safer ways to travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic, since they are independent and open-air, as opposed to something like a shared transit or bus. He also explained the scooters are also sanitized daily by the fleet managers, but not in between individual rides.
Riders should use their own discretion when determining how safe they feel using the shared e-scooters.
How safe are e-scooters?
Covato explained that studies have shown e-scooters have the same incident rate as bikes. So, they are about as safe as bicycles. Helmets are encouraged and Bird will give a ride credit to users who snap a “helmet selfie” on the app.
Where would they be installed?
The location of the scooter parking stations, or “staging locations” within Midland, are yet to be determined; however, Bird will have about 50-65 locations within the city.
Are they operational 24/7?
No. The scooters will be inoperable from midnight to 4 a.m.
How fast do they go?
The scooters are capped at 15 mph, which is well under the 25 mph maximum that Michigan Vehicle Code permits for such scooters. They can legally be driven on streets that are marked with speed limits of 35 mph or less.
How long does a scooter go on one charge?
Bird e-scooters can go about 30 miles on one charge, which is far more than an average trip.
Will the scooters be available year-round?
No, they will be stored in the winter months. Bird calls it “hibernating.”
How do you reserve a scooter so that no one else takes off with it?
There’s an electronic lock inside each scooter that can be activated by a user. When activated, no other user can operate the scooter. In addition, a GPS sensor will create a notification if someone tries to move a locked scooter.
How do you return/park them?
A rider can drop off a scooter wherever they reach their destination.
When a Bird rider is done, they must snap a picture of their scooter to prove they have parked it appropriately. Those photos can be audited regularly to ensure proper parking and provide further community education, if needed.
What if the scooters become clutter in the city?
Covato said from data they’ve collected in other cities, they know one person can effectively manage a fleet of 100 scooters. Bird expects their Midland partners to routinely move the scooters back to staged parking locations, where riders will expect to find them.
There is also a way for residents to report a concern if they see a scooter presenting a nuisance, through email, phone or social media.
What federal and state laws apply here?
Riders of e-scooters must follow the requirements of the Michigan Vehicle Code that pertains to electric personal assistive mobility devices (Section 660). This code requires that riders use them similarly to how someone would use a bicycle on a street or sidewalk. They can be operated at a speed of not more than 15 mph and can only be operated on streets with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. They must be ridden on the furthest right portion of a travel lane and must utilize an on-street bike lane if one is available.
Where can I learn more?
In addition to the Bird website, Midland residents can visit the city’s new webpage, cityofmidlandmi.gov/sharedmobility
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