The Normandy Park City Council at their June 14, 2022 assembly voted to approve a pilot program with Bird LLC to make electric scooters out there for residents to lease and journey all through the town.
This will be the primary scooter rental program within the south finish, with White Center providing one by Spin.
“We always want to explore alternatives to the car to move around within our communities,” the town mentioned. “One of these alternatives is the concept of micro-mobility, most currently realized through electric scooters.”
Bird will launch and function the program for free of charge to the town, and the trial will last as long as two years lengthy.
While a particular beginning date has not but been introduced, the town will be capable to terminate the settlement at any time with none points.
The program is meant to search out “an energy-efficient and affordable alternative for trips” inside Normandy Park, and will be restricted to riders aged 18 or older.
Renting a Bird scooter will price riders a $1 unlock payment, plus a per-minute payment. Billing will all be performed by means of the Bird smartphone app with a credit score or debit card.
Scooters will be capable to attain speeds as much as 15mph, which aligns with the pace of informal bikers. Bird says it has the power to create gradual pace zones in addition to regulate the pace.
“The purpose of a pilot operating agreement is to establish interim rules and regulations governing the operation of a stand-up electric scooter sharing system, and to ensure that a pilot program is consistent with the safety and well-being of bicyclists, pedestrians, and other users of the City’s rights-of-way,” the town mentioned within the assembly packet.
The Transportation Element of the Normandy Park Comprehensive Plan seeks to advertise alternate modes of journey, reminiscent of electric automobiles, biking and strolling, and helps consideration of grants, public/non-public partnerships and different means for funding such tasks.
“These consistency, safety, and use of rights-of-way factors are regulated in the RCW. The RCW is careful to separately—in great detail—define and regulate the use of vehicles, motor vehicles, bicycles, motor-driven cycles, mopeds, electric-assisted bicycles, motorcycles, motorized foot scooters, and power wheelchairs or other electric personal assistive mobility devices (known as EPAMD.)”
Bird will work with the town to create the preliminary working space that will align with the town’s targets of ridership and entry to various transportation.
“Birds will only operate in this area and will slow to a stop outside of it,” the corporate mentioned. “The city can also highlight any specific areas with parking rules, slow speeds or no riding.”
This pilot program will make the most of a dockless mannequin, which suggests riders can park the scooters wherever they want inside the working space.
“We educate riders where and how to park: at a bike rack when available, and not blocking the right-of-way, sidewalks, ADA ramps, or driveways,” Bird mentioned. “At the end of each Bird ride, riders will be promoted to take a picture of the parked scooter as proof.”
In case of “scooter clutter,” native Fleet Managers will be answerable for rebalancing and shifting automobiles all through the town throughout working hours.
The firm at the moment works with over 350 communities for related applications.
In regard to motorized foot scooters (the sort that Bird is providing within the pilot program) the RCW was amended most lately by ESHB 1772 (2019), which did the next:
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- Amended the definition of motorized foot scooter in RCW 46.04.336
- Further outlined the place motorized foot scooters might function RCW 46.61.710
- Created a brand new part defining how native authority might regulate motorized foot scooters and shared scooters together with contracts provided by scooter share applications to scooter share contractors RCW 46.61.715..
More data on Bird LLC is on the market right here: https://www.bird.co.