A shared use electric scooter is defined by the city as a device that weighs less than 150 pounds, has handle bars, an electric motor and two wheels, with one being in the front and the other being in the back.
Representatives of Bird Rides first reached to Springfield officials late last year. Following those conversations, Springfield City Commissioners approved last week rules and regulations related to the operation of eclectic scooters within city limits.
Those rules also highlight what providers of those services must do in order to have their scooters in the city.
Logan Cobbs, the assistant to Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, said that Bird Rides reached out to city officials first with the interest of offering scooters in the area.
Cobbs added that the city wanted to establish rules and regulations first before the scooters hit the street. She added that the city plans on starting conversations with Bird Rides regarding a user agreement in the near future.
“We wanted to ensure that these mobility sharing systems are consistent with the safety and well-being of our citizens,” Cobbs previously told this news organization.
Traditionally, there is a two week period between when an ordinance in the city is passed and when it is enacted. The ordinance to add rules and regulations regarding those shared use electric scooters was passed by commissioners on June 8.
Cobbs said once that two week period passes, the city can enter into talks with Bird Rides centered on entering into a user agreement.
The user agreement will highlight the radius in downtown Springfield where the scooters will be located as well as where customers can ride them. It will also highlight the pay-rate for the scooters, which can be paid by customers by using a mobile app.
According to the new rules and regulations, any business that seeks to operate a shared electric scooter program within Springfield would have to first enter into an Electric Scooter Use agreement with the city.
Those rules also state that electric scooters, defined by the city, would not be allowed to be parked in transit zones, loading docks, parking zones or street curbs. However, customers are allowed to leave scooters on the curb of side walks.
For now, the plan is to establish a boundary for those scooters in the downtown area, Cobbs said. However, the exact area where the scooters will be allowed to operate has not been established yet.
Cobbs said that boundary may be expanded in the future. If scooters go outside the established boundary, they will stop working, she added.
Nathan Smith, who has franchises in other cities operating Bird Rides scooters, said that Springfield would start with a smaller number of scooters and that could increase depending on usage.
Smith, who lives in Columbus, was present when Springfield commissioners voted to approve rules and regulations related to share use electric scooters in the city.
Smith said that he would be interested in running a franchise in Springfield. However, he would have to be selected by Bird Rides first. He said that if he operates those scooters in Springfield, he would plan to have four employees.
Smith said that his responsibility would be to set up scooters, pick them up, monitor scooter usage as well as make sure that they are not scattered around the downtown area. He operates Bird Rides scooters in other cities such as Columbus, Circleville, Mount Vernon and Warren.
Smith said that electric scooters can be used to fill a specific transportation need such as offering an affordable way to get to places, including grocery stores or work.
He added that people also use the scooters for leisure and entertainment purposes.
Facts & Figures
150: Weight in pounds of the maximum size of electric scooters approved for use in Springfield
1: Number of companies to express interest in bringing e-scooters downtown
2: Number of weeks after e-scooter ordinance passes before Springfield can enter talks with company
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