AUSTIN — AUSTIN -- Beep, beep! Your "last-mile" trips in Austin are about to get a whole lot easier!
Bird, an electronic scooter rental service, launched their dockless electronic scooters in Austin Thursday.
Bird is a transit option for short "last-mile" trips that are too long to walk, but too short to drive. According to a national travel survey, 40 percent of trips in the U.S. are shorter than two miles long.
Bird said their mission is to replace these trips, get people out of their cars, reduce traffic and congestion, and cut carbon emissions.
According to Bird, "These are goals that cities like Austin have, and we work closely with cities in which we operate."
Bird costs $1 to start each ride plus 15 cents per minute following. They are calibrated to go a maximum of 15 mph and can last about 15 miles on a single charge. They are meant to be ridden in bike lanes and on the street.
To ride, riders are required to upload a valid driver's license, confirm they are older than 18, consent to a safety agreement and watch an in-app safety tutorial. Bird will also provide free helmets to users.
The scooters will be available in the South Congress, Zilker and East Austin neighborhoods. However, Bird said they will adjust the number of rental services in the areas based on rider demand.
Until Austin, the service has been operating in Washington, D.C., and Santa Monica, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles, California.
For more information on how it works, click here.
