Bird, a dockless electric scooter rental startup based in Santa Monica, California, has officially started offering scooters in Atlanta today.
According to public relations representatives with Bird, this marks the startup's first launch in a southeast city after blowing up in other markets out West. Birds are now available in Midtown, Tech Square, downtown Atlanta and South of I-20 in the West End.
As ridership grows, Bird plans to increase the number of scooters offered in areas throughout the city based on rider demand, Nick Samonas, a Bird spokesperson, said.
"Atlanta’s rapid growth and development has presented an urgent need for additional transit options that are accessible, affordable, and reliable for all its residents across all its neighborhoods and communities," he said. "Birds are a great solution for short 'last mile' trips that are too long to walk, but too short to drive. As summer in Atlanta approaches, Bird offers a cheap, effortless alternative to sweating through a walk or bike ride."
Hello Atlanta! #enjoytheride #lovebird pic.twitter.com/7pZhNMNtjF
— Bird (@BirdRide) May 3, 2018
With their smartphones, customers can gain instant access to a scooter using the Bird mobile app.
Like several dockless scooter companies across the country, Bird has been at the center of regulatory battles in several cities following their launches, including tough pushback in San Francisco.
The company offers a “Save Our Sidewalks” Pledge that aims to only provide scooters where needed in a city. If a Bird scooter isn't ridden at least three times per day, the company will not offer additional vehicles. The company also pledges to donate $1 per vehicle per day to city governments to use the money for more bikes lanes and promote safe riding.
In addition, Bird also ships free helmets to riders who request them within the app. According to Georgia law, helmets are not required to use a scooter.
