Bird watching: Scooter

by Kurt Schlosser on August 11, 2023 at 9:00 amAugust 14, 2023 at 6:47 am

A new blue Bird has been spotted in Seattle.

The company know for its silver, standing e-scooters is bringing bikes to the city as part of the Department of Transportation’s scooter and bike share program.

An announcement from the City and Bird is coming soon, according to emailed replies GeekWire received from SDOT and the company, but the bikes are already on Seattle streets and showing up in the Bird app — and we took one for a quick spin on Thursday.

GeekWire Managing Editor Taylor Soper unlocked one of the bikes near a Metro bus stop at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Olive Street. The start fee was $1 and he paid 39 cents a minute for a three-minute ride in a nearby parking lot, reaching a top speed of 13 mph. Total cost with fees and taxes was $3.22.

The bikes feature electric pedal assist, an adjustable seat, and a basket on the front.

The arrival of Bird bikes will not change the lineup of other existing providers and transportation devices, according to SDOT. Scooter and bike share operators Lime, Superpedestrian (LINK), and Veo will continue to operate.

Bird, LINK and Lime all received permission to put their micromobility e-scooters on Seattle streets last year after making it through SDOT’s scooter share pilot program.

Update: Bird said it will launch an initial 200 e-bikes as part of its e-bike expansion in Seattle.

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