The Birds have landed in the Queen City.
E-scooter rental company Bird is making electric scooter rentals available in Springfield on Sept. 1.
Bird is an electric vehicle company “dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solutions such as e-scooters and e-bikes to communities across the world.” Founded in 2017, Bird now has fleets of shared vehicles in more than 400 cities around the globe.
E-scooters permitted in designated areas
The City of Springfield has permitted Bird to place 20 e-scooters in designated deployment areas in the downtown and Commercial Street business districts. The company also plans to deploy 30 e-scooters on the Missouri State University campus through a contract with the school.
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It's official: E-scooters are coming to Springfield
After months of research and deliberation, City Council voted in favor of allowing e-scooter and micro-mobility companies to operate in Springfield. Council Bill 143 passed with a unanimous 8-0 vote on June 13. Although council members were not without their doubts, the consensus is that, with the right implementation and patience, e-scooters can be successful…
How does it work? The e-scooters will initially be limited to a specific area in downtown and Commercial Street using geofencing technology. Once a device is taken outside the geofenced area, it is programmed to shut off and will no longer operate. This area will be adjusted as needed.
“Over the past year or so, city staff have been carefully preparing for the arrival of e-scooter companies in Springfield,” said Grady Porter, engineer for the Public Works Traffic Engineering division. “We worked alongside several interested companies and also conducted our own research into the benefits and potential drawbacks e-scooters offer. We believe we now have new municipal code in place that will help support micro-mobility companies while also avoiding some of the issues other communities have experienced.”
Bird required to maintain devices
Through the updated city code, Springfield’s downtown and Commercial Street business districts were defined with specific operating regulations for micro-mobility devices. In these districts, e-scooters will be required to park in one of 23 designated scooter parking areas marked with green striping and a pavement decal stating “Scooter Parking Only.” E-scooters in these districts are also prohibited from being ridden on sidewalks.
Scooter rental companies are also required to maintain the devices and collect them if left in places where they may endanger the traveling public. Each scooter will have contact information posted on the stem of the device that includes a phone number to contact the company directly with any concerns. Bird is currently the only scooter company licensed to rent or deploy on city streets. The company can be contacted with questions or concerns at 1-866-205-2442 or hello@bird.co.
“We are excited to welcome Bird to Springfield and look forward to working with them and Missouri State University to provide a positive and safe experience for riders and citizens,” Porter said.
Safety tips for e-scooter riders
All operators of e-scooters are advised to follow all rules and regulations that are enforceable by law in the City of Springfield, including:
- Every person operating an e-scooter on city streets shall wear protective headgear (helmet).
- A valid driver’s license is required to operate an e-scooter.
- E-scooter operators must yield the right of way to pedestrians and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian.
- E-scooters will be limited to 15 mph in all areas and 10 mph on greenway trails using geofence technology. However, operators will be responsible to limit their speeds on sidewalks, where allowed, to be no greater than 5 mph.
- E-scooters are not allowed to operate on roadways that have a speed limit greater than 30 mph.
- E-scooter companies are required to stop rentals at 10 p.m. each night. If the rental occurs before 10 p.m. the rental will not be terminated until the ride has ended.
- For areas outside the Downtown and Commercial Street Business districts, no person shall park a micro-mobility device on a street other than on the roadway against the curb, on the sidewalk in a rack, dock, or storage area, or against a building or at the curb in such manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian traffic.
For more information, visit the City's e-scooter and micro-mobility page.
