One day in June 2022, two Bird scooters were waiting for customers on First Avenue downtown.
As you would expect when it’s rainy and cold, the Bird company’s electric scooters available for rent have been gone from Albany streets this winter. Some people are wondering if the scooters will be back when the weather improves.
“I’m wondering what the outcome is on the trial run of Bird e-scooters in Albany,” a reader asked last week. “They seem to have disappeared, at least from the areas of town that I regularly travel. Will they be back in the future sometime? Were they profitable? Any problems with them?”
Information on profit or problems, if any, is not at hand. But here’s what the company sent to the City of Albany in an email on Nov. 7.
“As expected, as we head into the winter season, Bird will be pausing scooter operations for the safety of our riders, fleet managers and the larger community. We most likely will fully shut down in late November, as we monitor how quickly winter weather arrives in town. We look forward to discussing 2023 operations in spring of next year.”
City spokesman Matt Harrington, who seems to work 24-7, told me Sunday night that city officials met with a Bird representative on Nov. 30.
“We agreed that they would appear before Council in the next few months to summarize last season’s activity and discuss future operations,” Harrington said.
The company does not need a license to operate in Albany. But last March, the city council approved a one-year agreement with Bird covering the deployment of electric scooters in the city.
According to the Nov. 7 report, the company deployed 80 scooters in Albany starting in April. It reported 12,558 rides totaling 20,322 miles.
A map provided by the company showed rides all over the city but concentrated downtown.
The company claimed that the scooter rides “saved” 2,868 metric tons of carbon dioxide. But that estimate would be valid only if the scooter rides all replaced motor vehicle trips, which can’t be the case since at least some of the rides were on the Dave Clark Riverside Path.
As for problems, the only one I’m aware of is that the scooters can reach a speed of 18 miles an hour, which other people on multi-use paths may think is too fast.
So, will the rental scooters be back? We’ll find out when and if the planned presentation to the council takes place. (hh)
The scooters are just sort of a play-thing for the young, it seems to me. I never saw anyone riding them but young boys. But, if they save some carbon dioxide emissions, I suppose they are worth it. But, if the city keeps them, I am sure there will be a monetary cost and that has to be weighed. As global warming gets worse, maybe they will be used more and more.
When you factor in all the carbon dioxide emissions required to create the batteries, they will never offset the cost.
Thanks for the update, Hasso.
No problem with the scooters….. if they would abide by the rules/laws. They didn’t last year. No helmets, riding on the sidewalk, parking/leaving them wherever they wanted. Maybe more “training” and more enforcement. They’ll probably wait until someone is seriously injured, or worse.
Yep – they are back – say two being set out at the roundabout at Main and Salem Avenue this morning (3 Jan 2023)