City of Manchester, NH issued the following announcement on July 28.
Today, Mayor Joyce Craig announced The City of Manchester is partnering with the Los Angeles, California-based, shared electric scooter company, Bird Rides, to bring e-scooters to the city. The scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city.
“This is an exciting opportunity here in the City,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “We heard from a lot of businesses, who were looking for micromobility options for their employees to easily travel from the Millyard to downtown. I’m thrilled Bird is now here in Manchester, giving residents a new, fun way to travel around our City.”
The company plans on offering scooters to residents and visitors in order to help reduce carbon emissions, as well as traffic congestion on roadways. The scooters also provide a safe way to get around and offer residents without cars another transportation option.
“The young professional community in Manchester could not be more excited to have Bird Rides coming to the city. Many of us really believe these scooters will make the downtown community more accessible and commuter friendly,” said Holly Blanchard, Co-Chair, Manchester Young Professionals (MYP) Advisory Council. “We discussed Bird coming to Manchester at a recent MYP Advisory Council meeting and the overwhelming enthusiasm from council members was clear – it’s game changing. To not have to worry about parking and be able to get around the city more quickly and efficiently is something the YP community has been waiting for. I’m thrilled for this opportunity to be presented to the Manchester community and look forward to seeing tourists take advantage of the many great things this city has to offer.”
"It's great to see Manchester taking steps to support commercial activity and a vibrant downtown. As a company with 70+ employees moving from Elm St to the Millyard later this year, we know it's important to keep professionals coming to work in this city and visiting our shops and cafes -- after all, the empty downtown we all experienced last spring isn't good for anyone. We've already had a few employees buy a bike helmet this week to keep at the office for quick trips around town, and we encourage folks to be safe and responsible whether on bike, foot, car, or scooter,” stated Mike Collins, CEO and Founder, Alumni Ventures.
“This is a great opportunity for downtown, having last mile transportation options come into our city is a game changer for mobility between Elm Street and the Millyard. With Bird, we'll be able to make those connections much easier. Huge thanks to the Mayor and Aldermen for approving this program,” said Liz Hitchcock, Owner, Bookery Manchester.
“As a resident and someone trying to grow a business in Manchester, it is very exciting to see the city take this forward-thinking action to support downtown businesses, residents and visitors. For many people this type of service becomes a litmus test -- as it was with Uber and Lyft. If you don’t have these amenities, you aren’t a place they will choose to stay, work and play,” added Gray Chynoweth, CEO, Minim.
The electric scooters can be used on roads and in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour. Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians and never blocking sidewalks. Riders are required to be at least 18 years-old to access the scooters. They are also encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and are required to obey all standard rules of the road.
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 micromobility 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 access@bird.co.
- 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 together@bird.co. 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.
- Community Mode: Community Mode allows anyone with a Bird account to report or provide feedback on scooter-related issues such as poorly parked or damaged scooters in their area. When a report is submitted, a member of the Bird team is assigned to correct the issue. Anyone can access Community Mode by tapping the yield sign on the bottom left of the Bird map.
Original source can be found here.
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