MARSHALL — People in Marshall will get to attempt a brand new manner of getting round this summer season. An electrical scooter rental firm plans to deliver a fleet of fifty to 75 scooters to city on a trial foundation. Members of the Marshall City Council permitted a memorandum of understanding between town and Bird Scooters on Tuesday evening.
“The city of Marshall was approached about a month ago by Bird Scooters, it’s a company based out of California,” mentioned Marshall EDA Director Lauren Deutz. The scooters could be obtainable for patrons to hire, however this system wouldn’t have a price to town, she mentioned.
“At this time, they’re just looking to launch a trial period in Marshall,” she mentioned. Deutz mentioned different Minnesota cities together with Albert Lea and New Ulm have been additionally contemplating related trial agreements with Bird.
Mike Butler of Bird mentioned the corporate was based in 2017, and now operates in 150 cities world wide.
“We are a dockless electric vehicle company. Our goal is to make cities more livable, and bring this new environmentally friendly mode of transportation to members of the community,” Butler mentioned.
Butler described how the scooter rental program would work. New riders age 18 and older would wish to obtain a smartphone app, add cost data, and undergo instructional tutorials. Then, they might go up to a parked scooter, scan it with the app, and take it for a trip. Rental charges common round $5 a trip, he mentioned.
“Then when you’re done, you park it back on the sidewalk, someone comes along and picks it up and does the exact same thing,” Butler mentioned. Riders are required to take a photograph of their scooters as proof they’re parked correctly after the trip.
Butler mentioned the scooter expertise can robotically decelerate the scooters in sure areas, or shut down the scooters fully in the event that they go someplace town doesn’t permit them.
As a part of the planning for the scooter proposal, Deutz mentioned she spoke with group organizations like United Community Action Partnership and the Marshall Downtown Business Association, in addition to Southwest Minnesota State University. Deutz mentioned SMSU was in favor of the proposal.
“They were in full support of the program. They thought it would be a benefit to their students,” she mentioned. However, the MDBA was extra apprehensive. “I think there would be some logistics that we need to figure out, just to make sure that we keep the program neat and tidy, and that it is functional for downtown businesses.”
Council members did have some questions concerning the scooters. John DeCramer requested if the scooters could be allowed on metropolis trails. Deutz mentioned it was her understanding the scooters could be allowed on trails and bike lanes, however not sidewalks.
“I don’t know that we want these scooters on Main Street with truck traffic and everything running through,” council member Russ Labat mentioned.
Deutz and Butler mentioned town would have the ability resolve on areas the place scooters are and aren’t allowed. The trial interval would additionally give each Bird and town an opportunity to see if the scooter rentals labored out for the group.
Council member James Lozinski mentioned he’s seen related rental scooters in motion in different cities, even on sidewalks. In these instances, riders and pedestrians are courteous to one another, he mentioned.
“People seem to work well with these,” Lozinski mentioned. “I think even downtown it would work just fine, no different from biking.”
Council members voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding with Bird for a trial scooter rental program.