You might have thought you’d heard the last of Bird scooters, but as of Tuesday, Columbia residents can fly through the streets once again.
Last month, the City Council voted unanimously to bring the avian-themed vehicles back, after tabling a proposed contract with Bird and MU last September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From left, college freshmen Makayla Houser, Joshua Thomas and Justin Glenn ride Bird scooters through downtown Wednesday in Columbia. Houser said she had already rode the Bird scooters twice the day prior. The scooters returned to Columbia on Tuesday.
The California-based company, along with the 500 units it brought into town, must operate under a specific set of guidelines outlining cleaning, parking and scootering.
Under the contract, Bird will pay an initial fee of $10,000 each to Columbia and MU, plus $2 per day for each scooter in operation, to be split evenly by the two. The contract will be in effect for one year with automatic renewals for a maximum of three years unless it is terminated.
The Missourian sent me out to experience a ride for myself. Along the way, I met others who shared their thoughts on Bird’s return.
Cleo Willis helps unload Bird scooters Wednesday at MU in Columbia. Willis helped out his friend Denzell Williams, who has a contract with Bird to distribute its scooters. The scooters returned to Columbia Tuesday.
Back on a Bird
The first thing I noticed Wednesday afternoon in Columbia’s downtown area was not the bricks lining Fifth Street, the clusters of coffee shops, the stray masks nestled in the grass or the gaggles of students headed home from class.
MU freshman Joshua Thomas rests on a Bird scooter Wednesday in Columbia. Thomas said that in Chicago, where he is from, there are not Bird scooters and he is first encountering them in Columbia.
It was the electric rental scooters.
The opening melody of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” hummed in my right earbud as I paid a dollar for a scooter on the corner of Eighth and Elm streets. Before the Birds flew the coop in November 2019, I used the scooters weekly.
After cruising past Peace Park on a Bird with the spring wind in my hair, I was hooked again. They zip around with a satisfying speed, providing the thrill of a convertible car — with none of the swagger.
But with this rekindled spirit comes a couple of updates in the twists and turns.
Perching problems
The flock of scooters, which originally appeared in Columbia in August 2018, has met backlash from residents.
Over the years, community members have worried about the hazards the scooters present to riders and pedestrians, especially those with disabilities who need accessible entrances and clear sidewalks.
The new contract aims to reduce this issue by establishing zoning obligations for Bird and parking rules for riders.
When people are finished using the scooters, they must park them in designated zones or with clearance on sidewalks, according to the mobile app. After you finish the ride, the app prompts you to photograph the scooter where you left it. I parked mine near the entrance to MU’s Lee Hills Hall.
Riders can park anywhere except in grey zones with red borders shown on the map. Both parking and riding may be restricted in these zones, according to the company’s website. The map within the main page of the app shows two forms of preferred parking: a blue dot near bike racks and black icons on sidewalks.
The company also uses geofencing to restrict scooters to appropriate areas and automatically slow them down in others.
In addition to parking regulations, riders must:
- ride scooters only on streets and in bike lanes, not on sidewalks.
- wear a helmet.
- ride one at a time.
- be 18 years or older.
- carry a valid driver’s license while riding.
Bird will have to provide the city and MU detailed data on the use of its scooters and any accidents or other violations that occur.
Kiki Pappas, a junior studying business at MU, said Bird scooters were previously her primary source of transportation.
“I used to drive them from the dorms to work downtown everyday. I will probably gain some weight now because I won’t be walking as much, but it will be easier to get around,” she said with a chuckle. Her scooter beeped, signaling the start of her ride.
Bird scooters rest at a designated parking spot Wednesday in downtown Columbia. Previously removed from the town for various reasons, the scooters are now back with designated parking areas being referred to as "nests."
Bird baths
Given the pandemic, Bird has created sanitation protocols.
Bird’s field team is set to clean the vehicles every time they are collected to be recharged or serviced, according to the company’s blog. The city and the company agreed the scooters will be picked up around 8 p.m. or dusk, whichever comes later.
Bird scooters rest in the back of a distributor's trailer Wednesday in Columbia. There will be approximately 500 scooters around the city, according to Bird, and the company will pay a $10,000 fee to both the city and to MU.
MU engineering student Justin Glenn was on his fifth ride of the day. My 7-minute ride couldn’t compare to the time he’s spent “Bird-ing” within the last 48 hours.
Glenn said he appreciates that the scooters are being cleaned.
“I never really thought about that, but I’m glad it’s happening,” he said.
Pappas said, based on recent articles she’s read, she isn’t worried about contracting the virus from the shared scooters. On April 5, the CDC said the risk of contracting the virus from touching a contaminated surface was less than 1 in 10,000.
“It’s everyone’s own responsibility to take their own health into their own hands,” she said. “If you don’t want to risk getting COVID, maybe don’t use these public scooters.”
"bird" - Google News
April 15, 2021 at 06:00PM
https://ift.tt/3mQUU9o
A little birdie told me Bird scooters have returned - Columbia Missourian
"bird" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2s1zYEq
https://ift.tt/3dbExxU
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "A little birdie told me Bird scooters have returned - Columbia Missourian"
Post a Comment