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Officials with the city of San Ramon and the e-scooter company Bird announced the debut of a partnership between the two entities that aims to increase local transit options and attract commuting residents.
The pilot program that launched last week means that 150 e-scooters and e-bikes are now available for rental at a number of “nests” scattered throughout the city.
The vehicles provided by Bird and the company’s technological infrastructure mean “the capability to define safe operation, and to monitor and control the fleet in real time, including setting slow speed zones and no-parking zones with unprecedented accuracy,” Chris Weeks, the city’s division manager of transportation, said in a statement on Dec. 7.
Weeks added that the programming options include the ability to enforce speed zones via the use of geo-fencing.
“When the Bird vehicles are operated in these zones, the vehicle communicates with the user using a digital dashboard on the scooter, then automatically adjusts to the parameters set for the zone,” Weeks said. “This allows the operator to create custom speed limits and zones that are completely off limits to the vehicles. This capability allows for special storage areas called ‘nests’ that allow orderly storage of vehicles when not in use.”
The vehicles will operate at a top speed of 15 mph, and only within San Ramon city limits.
While the new offering fits with the hi-tech vision many have for the rapidly growing city, the goal is also pragmatic — part of a package of measures intended to help meet San Ramon’s greenhouse gas reduction target, Weeks said — and the “first among many”, according to city officials.
The launch of the San Ramon program is also part of the company’s more ambitious goals, according to last week’s announcement.
“Bird is extremely excited about launching a shared mobility program that could one day connect the entire East Bay and Tri-Valley area,” said Austin Marshburn, director of city and university partnerships for Bird. “Bird is passionate about solving the ‘last mile’ problem currently facing the residents, commuters and tourists of San Ramon.”
The pilot program is set to run for 12 months following Wednesday’s launch. More information is available here.
Not sure I am liking the new e-scooter Bird partnership so far. Bikes are littered all over, often blocking sidewalks and very unsightly in our beautiful Sam Ramon neighborhood. Safety and helmet issues also come to mind along with how well the 18 yr + old age limit can really be enforced. With all the other structural and environmental areas for improvement, it seems like poor use of funding. Motorcycles are bad enough and subject drivers to more accidents so I can’t imagine how adding more of the same/similar will do anything but open up the possibility of more accidents/injuries. I’m sure there are those who welcome this idea, I’m just not one of them.
The no parking zones are failing miserably. All I see are the scooters and bikes dumped haphazardly on sidewalks throughout the city.