Bird, an electric scooter company based in Santa Monica, Calif., is testing its scooters in Chicago this weekend.
Forty of the company's scooters are available in the Wicker Park neighborhood, particularly to those heading to Wicker Park Fest, an annual street festival. The scooters are only available from 2-7 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, according to Bird.
"We are thrilled to be connecting with the Chicago community this weekend, and look forward to bringing Bird to Chicago," said Bird Spokesperson Michelle Neumayr in a statement to Chicago Inno.
Beyond this weekend, Bird doesn't have any specific plans to make its service available in Chicago. However, the company said they have notified city officials of the demo this weekend and are working with them to make Bird permanently available in Chicago in the future.
"We are also currently working with Chicago officials on an ordinance that permits affordable transportation options to help the city reach its goals of getting cars off the road, cutting traffic and reducing emissions," Neumayr said.
Bird, launched just last year, has raised more than $415 million in venture capital funding fro investors like Accel, Sound Ventures and Greycroft, according to Crunchbase. Their scooters can be found and unlocked using its mobile app, go up to 15 mph and are designed be ridden in bike lanes.
The news comes a week after Lime launched its scooters in Chicago in a similar fashion. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company introduced its scooters last weekend at the city’s Sheffield Music Fest and Gardens Walk event in Lincoln Park. About 40 of its scooters were available, and Lime says it plans to continue making them available at other festivals throughout Chicago for the rest of the summer.
