Electric Scooters in Wauwatosa, Starting Week of March 29

Wauwatosa’s Board of Public Works recently approved an agreement with Bird Rides for the company to bring electric scooters to the city. Just in time for spring, Bird is a naturally social distanced way to get around. The scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city. Bird has a local employee to manage deployment, maintenance, and recharging of the scooters.

“We welcome Bird to the City of Wauwatosa and look forward to having the scooters available for our residents and visitors. The City is committed to improving transportation access, reducing single-occupancy vehicle use, and providing first- and last-mile solutions to support public transit. Offering scooters as a mobility option will support these goals” stated David Simpson, Wauwatosa’s Director of Public Works.

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 during the pandemic and offer residents without automobiles another transportation option.

The electric scooters can be used on roads, bike lanes, or multi-use trails (such as the one on Menomonee River Parkway) 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 offers the following program available for all who qualify:
  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.

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

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.