Mayor Barlow announces Bird electric scooters coming to Oswego

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Mayor Billy Barlow announced today he is partnering the City of Oswego with shared electric scooter company, Bird Rides, to bring e-scooters to the city in the coming weeks. Bird e-scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city.  Residents download the Bird app to their mobile phone, locate a scooter in the City of Oswego through GPS or designated pick up locations, and can ride scooters throughout the city. Rides cost $1 to start, and 39 cents a minute after that.  The electric scooters can be used on roads, in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15mph.  Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians and never blocking driveways. Riders are required to be 18 years-old and above to access the scooters. They are also encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and required to obey all standard rules of the road.

“Bird e-scooters have been successful in many other cities throughout the Country, and I believe, given our recent improvements, new attractions and infusion of residents living downtown, e-scooters offer a great form of fun recreation while also providing a viable, accessible transportation option to residents,” said Mayor Billy Barlow. “I’m extremely excited to partner with Bird to bring e-scooters to Oswego to provide safe and sustainable transportation for both residents and visitors. We encourage everyone to learn more by downloading the Bird app and giving the scooters a try this summer!”

Mayor Barlow said the city will start with fifty scooters throughout the city, scheduled to become operating and available by July 2021.  The city has identified Wright’s Landing, Brietbeck Park, Oswego City Hall, Lakeside Park and other key locations and pick-up locations. The mayor also said all scooters are GPS’d and tracked daily, so stealing a scooter is not possible.  Also, individuals riding recklessly or causing issues with scooters can be banned from using the app to rent a scooter. 

“A growing list of cities, states and countries are looking to micro-mobility alternatives, such as scooters and bikes, not only as a means of minimizing congestion. We are excited to work with the City of Oswego to offer residents safe and sustainable transportation during the pandemic and beyond,” said Bird Rides. 

The company plans on offering scooters to residents and visitors in order to help reduce carbon emissions, as well as traffic congestion on roadways. Bird Rides estimates introducing e-scooters to Oswego could remove 112,500 lbs, or 56 tons, of CO2 annually by using these scooters rather than alternative transportation  

The scooters also provide a safe way to get around during the pandemic and offer residents without automobiles another transportation option. Bird offers the following programs that are available for all who qualify:

• Community Pricing -  Bird’s Community Pricing Program offers a 50% discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans, and senior citizens. It’s designed to be the most inclusive micro mobility discount program available anywhere. To sign up for the Community Pricing Program, download the Bird app, create an account, and email your proof of eligibility to [email protected].
   
• Free Rides for Healthcare Workers and Emergency Personnel - Bird is proud to offer free rides to healthcare workers and emergency personnel. To sign up, simply email a copy of your medical identification card along with your name and phone number to [email protected]. Eligible riders will receive two free 30-minute rides per day for as long as it takes to help our communities to recover from this global health crisis.

If a resident has questions or concerns about the e-scooters the company can be reached directly at 1-866-205-2442 or [email protected]. More information about the company can be found on their website (www.bird.co) and on their blog (www.bird.co/blog).