Bird scooters to launch in Memphis today
About 200 Bird scooters will be available in Memphis beginning Friday, the latest step in new mobility options in the city.
Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen and Councilman Kemp Conrad announced the launch of the shared electric scooter service Thursday afternoon in Court Square Park. The unveiling comes three weeks after the introduction of Explore Bike Share, which McGowen called “a new day for mobility in Memphis.”
Initially, the scooters will be available around Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, South City and Cooper-Young. As ridership increases, the number of Birds will go up as well.
Memphis is the 15th city to welcome the California-based scooter-share company, which offers its scooters through an app. Customers find the Birds using their phones, similar to Uber or Lyft, and renting them at a cost of $1 plus fifteen cents per minute of use.
“Memphis is an innovative city that
recognizes the importance of an equitable, affordable, and reliable transit system,” said Travis VanderZanden, Bird founder and CEO. “That’s why we are excited to bring our environmentally friendly transportation solution to the people of Memphis.”
At night, people will be offered $5 to $20-per-scooter to take home, charge and put Birds back out on the street the next day.
Conrad pointed out that Memphians brought in $7 million in revenue from Airbnb in 2017, and he believes Bird holds the same potential.
Despite its environment-friendly devices, Bird recently received backlash in Nashville. On June 7, Nashville impounded 411 Bird scooters after warning the company about scooters left on public rights of way. Users were instructed to park Birds like bikes, but many left them in streets, sidewalks and park grounds.
The city argued that it represented illegal obstructions of rights of way and public property. After initially pushing back, Bird relented and agreed to suspend its operations.
Memphis quickly jumped on the opportunity, closing the deal in a week.
“Our friends about three hours to the east, they weren’t as nimble as Memphis,” Conrad said. “Unlike Nashville, we have a temporary operating agreement in place.”
The agreement is modeled after a shared-mobility ordinance Mayor Jim Strickland will introduce to the council Tuesday.
The ordinance will detail rules for parking and riding Birds and other shared vehicles.
“I think it’s clear to say, as the mayor always talks about, Memphis has momentum,” McGowen said.
Conrad and Council Chairman Berlin Boyd displayed some of that momentum after the news conference when they strapped on helmets, jumped on the two black-and-white Birds and took them for a test ride around the Court Square fountain.