BISMARCK, N.D. – It’s a sure sign of spring. Bird scooters have arrived in Bismarck. The City Commission approved an agreement with Bird Rides that allows the use of Bird’s motorized scooters on the streets of Bismarck for the 2022 season.
The City of Bismarck partnered with Bird Rides, a shared electric scooter company, to offer stand-up electric scooter sharing in the city. The eco-friendly transportation option can be activated through Bird’s free mobile phone application and used to replace gas-powered car trips when going to the store, meeting up with friends, exploring the community and taking many other daily trips. Riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city.
The scooters provide a safe way to get around and supplies residents without automobiles another transportation option. According to Bird, in 2021 there were 8,478 electric scooter rides in Bismarck, 2,313 unique riders,111 active commuters and 13,981 total distance traveled.
The scooters operate on the street and in bike lanes similar to a bicycle, and are enabled within a geofence to operate in specific areas within the community. Scooters are available to rent between 4 a.m. to midnight via a smartphone app and all users are required to be 18 years of age or over to access the scooters.
Users are encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and are required to obey all standard rules of the road. The electric scooters have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour. Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians and never blocking driveways.
“Scooters make for a useful way to bridge the gap between public transportation and a person’s home or workplace and helps people get around and maybe even eliminate a trip in the car. More transportation options can bring a lot of benefit to the city,” said Gabe Schell, City Engineer.
Bird offers a variety of programs that are available for all who qualify. More information about the company can be found on their website www.bird.co and on their blog: www.bird.co/blog. If a resident has questions about the e-scooters the company can be reached directly at 1-866-205-2442 or hello@bird.co or contact us: https://www.bird.co/contact-us/.
The company has a Community Mode tool that enables anyone to easily report an issue, such as a damaged or poorly parked vehicle, directly to Bird with just a few taps in the Bird app. Learn more about the app at: https://www.bird.co/blog/community-mode/.