Bird says they will mail a free helmet to registered riders.
In 2019 scooters were allowed on sidewalks outside the downtown core.
Through the summer of 2019 Lime operated a trial program with scooters in Everett. That ended, and the Pandemic kept scooter programs on pause for the last two years.
Now Bird is proposing to bring scooters back with a one-year contract that offers the City $500.00 and ten cents a ride. Here are the details from the Summary sheet presented to city council members.
The City of Everett ran a successful scooter pilot in 2019. After a two-year hiatus created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Council is asked to approve a twelve-month contract to bring shared scooters back to Everett.
Ridership and user feedback was strong in 2019, and the negative impacts and concerns were considered manageable given the benefits provided by growing sustainable micro-mobility options for residents and visitors. Bird Rides, Inc., is proposed to be the city’s non-exclusive provider with a twelve-month contract (attachment SDl) very similar to the contract used in 2019 for Lime.
Through the contract and Bird’s on-going business practices:
• Bird provides education to riders and mails free helmets to any registered user in its
service area-customer or not-who submits an online request;
• Bird contracts with local businesses and entrepreneurs who are responsible for
maintaining, deploying, charging, and repositioning e-scooters;
• Bird maps the area in which scooters may operate, although staff does not anticipate significant restrictions within Everett city limits;
• Bird’s offers a 50% discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local
nonprofit and community organizations, veterans, and senior citizens, as well as free rides to healthcare workers engaged in pandemic recovery efforts;
• Bird employs multiple strategies to encourage riders to park scooters properly and keep scooters off sidewalks when riding. Bird is a leader in safety innovations; we hope to eventually employ technology Bird is currently testing that brings a scooter to a stop when on a sidewalk; and
• Bird scooter typical aluminum and black styling fits with Everett’s aerospace heritage .
More information about Bird and its business practices are available in attachment SD2 and at its website (https://www.bird.co).
You can see the proposed contract and supporting materials at the link below.
This week the Everett City Council session is Wednesday at 12:30 PM via remote Zoom meeting.
April 25, 2022
Everett Government