[ad_1]
ANN ARBOR, MI – The craze for electric scooters is spreading across the region.
The electric scooter start-up Bird was launched in Detroit in July and Lime, another brand of electric scooters, deployed its scooters in the city a few weeks later.
Another electric scooter company in Detroit
And on Friday morning, scooters of birds were seen in Ann Arbor for a guided tour of the University of Michigan.
Several scooters were parked on campus, in front of Comerica Bank on Main and Huron Streets, and on Liberty Street on September 7th. Some had business cards, noting "Free Ride" with a promotional code.
The Ann Arbor pop-up is part of a program in which Bird will deploy a small group of scooters on college campuses within six weeks to help students get to and from their destinations.
"This year, at the end of the summer, students returning to campus may be able to leave their car in Birding," Bird founder Travis VanderZanden said in a press release.
"Whether it's to get to a class on time, work or just get to campus from the nearest public transit stop, Bird will help eliminate the transportation gaps so students and faculty can focus on what really matters: education. "
How to use:
Scooters cost $ 1 to activate and 15 cents per minute. They travel up to 15 mph. To use them, download the Bird app and find a scooter using your location on the map in the app.
Unlock the scooter by sweeping it, push the scooter several times with your foot and press the throttle to accelerate. Press the brake on the left handlebar to slow down. Keep both feet on the scooter and use bike lanes where possible.
If possible, park the scooter along a bike rack and avoid impeding traffic on the sidewalks. The company recommends that runners wear a helmet. Users can request to order a free headset through the app.
Kenny Cook, 24, who grew up in Ann Arbor and moved to Los Angeles after high school, said electric scooters were taking over the city.
"Initially, bird scooters were more prevalent in seaside towns like Santa Monica and along the coast," Cook said.
They then merged in the city center and urban areas, which created problems for tourists, he said. Problems include pedestrian injuries and riders merging with bikers and vehicles on the road.
"I do not think the laws are necessarily scooter-based," Cook said. They were not well prepared for this, "adding that he hoped that security would be taken into account around the UM campus, given the pedestrian traffic and the vehicles that were there. 39; surround.
"I think that's where the pedestrian zone is," he said.
If it was not for the university, however, Cook said that he thought the scooters would not have been deployed to Ann Arbor. He also does not think that they will be heavily used in areas like Saline or to get to Briarwood Mall, because of the trends he's observed in LA, where scooters were mostly staying within the confines from the city.
"In a sense, it will be great for the university, perhaps, and the downtown area is the most populated area," Cook said.
I saw a bird scooter on campus today.
Bird is not in Ann Arbor. (?)
– [?] [?] [?] [?] (@EricPaulDennis) September 7, 2018
@Drewzeewoozee I just wrote that bird scooters are in Ann Arbor and I never leave my apartment again. It was fun, you are.
– Liz Marquis (@lizbmarquis) September 7, 2018
Electric scooters for birds are in Ann Arbor. https://t.co/1jOg8375dE pic.twitter.com/qNgAN31YfT
– Damn Arbor (@damnarbor) September 7, 2018
[ad_2]
Source link
