NORTH TONAWANDA, NY — Bird, an electric bike company reached out to the City of North Tonawanda officials and after nine months, the electric scooters are on the road starting October 1st.
"It's a new initiative. We are trying to embrace through a trial more or less. We will see how it goes," said North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec.
North Tonawanda is the only city in Western New York to have Bird scooters, with a fleet of 20 to 30 scooters Tylec hopes to expand if the community is interested.
"We could expand to about 70 or even 100, if people are really receptive, which they have been in the past couple days," said Tylec.
To use the scooter, you go on the Bird app, scan a code on the scooter, pay the fee and go.
You must be 18 years or older, drive only in bike lanes and wear a helmet which you will have to provide.
The cost to ride a scooter is a dollar and 49 cents per minute.
WKBW reached out to North Tonawanda Police to see if the scooters are impacting traffic enforcement and Chief Keith Glass said:
Since the scooter program has been implemented in our city, the biggest complaint we’ve had is riders leaving the scooters on sidewalks which could possibly interfere with pedestrian traffic. Besides this, there have been no calls or issues with erratic operation that have been reported to our department. My hope is the addition of the Bird scooters will be a positive move and will allow people to get around safer and easier to all the businesses and attractions our city has to offer.
Scooter riders can use the electric vehicles for 4 to 6 weeks until they are put away due to the winter.
Bird is also offering special pricing such as community pricing and offers a 50 percent discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens.
The company also offers free rides for healthcare workers and emergency service workers.
