ST. LOUIS — Electric scooter company Bird will return to St. Louis this weekend to test some of the new regulations in the city.
In a press release, St. Louis Public Safety Director Monte Chambers said the company will have a "soft relaunch" in the city, with no more than 50 scooters downtown starting Friday. The company will use this weekend to ensure its technology will work to abide by the city's new rules.
The new permit requires companies to cap speeds and limit the number of scooters in one area, among other changes.
Chambers said Bird will have employees on the ground to run tests and monitor the results.
“Bird has worked closely with St. Louis officials and stakeholders to return operations to the city," Maggie Hoffman, the vice president of city growth and strategy for Bird said in an email. “We are excited about the return to downtown and thrilled to serve the City and its residents, providing them with safe, sustainable, and affordable transportation options.
In January, the city approved a new permit to allow scooter- and bike-sharing companies to return to the city. They were banned last summer over concerns about large groups of teens and young adults loitering and causing problems.
- Reducing e-scooter speed to 12 mph citywide from the current 15 mph to improve safety for riders. E-scooter speed will be reduced to 10 mph in some commercial zones and parks.
- No “group ride” feature by limiting users to one unlocked scooter per account.
- Age restrictions to prevent those 18 and under from unlocking vehicles.
- Enhanced accessibility rules, including additional regulations and clarification on scooter staging and parking.
- Smaller total fleet size, from 2,500 to 1,500, with neighborhood-by-neighborhood caps on vehicles.
Chambers said Lime, another electric scooter company, is expected to receive its permit next week and resume operations in the city.
Anyone who sees issues with the scooters over the weekend is asked to send an email to stl@bird.co.
Lime is expected to receive its permit next week.
Reaction
Stephen Nations grabbed lunch on Friday with friends at Jack Patrick's Bar and Grill.
"It looks disgusting to see them strewn all over the sidewalks," Nations said."It's wild enough trying to get around down here, zipping around going 20 miles per hour. It's dangerous too."
Jack Patrick's owner shares similar concerns.
"We had too many young kids flying through intersections," Liese said. "The speed thing also slows them down a bit. They were pretty fast, I was surprised."
Jacque Knight, Community Mobility Committee, is confident these changes will provide a better experience for all St. Louisians this time around.
"These are really powerful tools for first mile last mile transit gap connectors," Knight said. "I think it's about thinking about our environmental footprint and our ability to take trips, maybe shorter trips can be taken on scooters as opposed to driving."
Liese hopes the best-case scenario turns into reality.
"It's easier for people to hop around," the business owner said. "That's good for business. They can see the whole city, they aren't stuck on one corner."