Bye, Bye, Birdie. The City of Minneapolis announced today that it has selected four e-scooter companies to participate in its extended scooter pilot program, and notably, Bird, the first e-scooter company to arrive in the Twin Cities, isn't on the list.
JUMP, Lyft, Spin and Lime have all entered into licensing agreements to bring e-scooters to Minneapolis. Lime is the only returning company. Lyft currently has scooter fleets in 15 cities. The company also owns Motivate, which helped local bike-sharing nonprofit Nice Ride roll out its first dockless program in 2018.
JUMP and Spin also have big-name backers. JUMP is owned by Lyft's key rival, Uber, and is in around two dozen cities worldwide. Ford bought scooter startup Spin earlier this year for around $100 million and announced aggressive plans to be in 100 cities by the end of the year.
Under the extended pilot program, the number of scooters allowed in the city will be capped at 2,000. This will be divided evenly among the operators. The Minneapolis City Council based the numbers on the usage scooters received last year. Residents took 225,000 rides during the five-month trial period.
A maximum of 800 scooters will be allowed downtown and in its surrounding neighborhoods. At least 600 scooters must be distributed in economically-disadvantaged areas like Northeast, North and South Minneapolis.
The extended pilot program will run through March 31, 2020. The goal of the pilot is to "determine how to best position scooters as a long-term viable transportation option for all in Minneapolis," the City said in a release.
Equity and safety are key focus areas for the pilot program. Beyond the scooter distribution requirements, operators must have low-income pricing programs and alternative access options for people who don't have smartphones or require a cash payment option.
The e-scooter companies also must provide ongoing education and outreach on safe riding and proper parking.
Bird told Minne Inno that in less than one day, more than 800 emails were sent to city officials by residents asking Bird to remain part of the Minneapolis community.
"We are concerned with the direction of Minneapolis' plans for e-scooters, and are working to get a thorough understanding of how city officials came to the disappointing result that they did," a Bird spokesperson said. "With unmatched operational experience, the highest self-impost safety standards and an unrivaled dedication to sustainability, Bird remains committed to serving the Twin Cities. The people of Minneapolis deserve the best, and we continue to hear from residents and community organizations that they miss having Bird in town."
The City of Minneapolis could not immediately be reached for comment.
