eets of Beaumont, the Bird scooters that once littered the sidewalks of teenager hotspots have now migrated for the winter – and possibly longer, as no announced date of return has been given as of yet.
Birds officially landed in Beaumont on March 1, after a “soft launch” that brought in a few scooters for test drives.
The city of Beaumont announced the arrival of Bird scooters as a partnership with the Los Angeles, California-based, electric transportation company, Bird Rides, to bring shared e-scooters to the city. The scooters were available through a mobile phone application, and riders paid to use the scooter per minute at no cost to the city.
“We are happy to welcome Bird to Beaumont and look forward to having scooters available,” Beaumont Mayor Robin Mouton said when the scooters first arrived. “Not only are they an exciting new way to get around, but they’re a viable transportation option for residents and a way to make the community more sustainable.”
City officials agreed there was a need for the transport.
“The scooters are a useful way to bridge the gap between public transportation and a person’s home or work,” added then-Beaumont Planning and Community Development Director Chris Boone, now assistant city manager. “More transportation options can bring a lot of benefits to the city.”
Initially, the company bringing in the Birds billed the program as a mainstay for the community, progressively making the world a better place by helping to “reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion on roadways.”
“The scooters also provide a safe way to get around during the pandemic and offer residents without cars another transportation option,” the city advertisement read.
Birds, at an average cost of $13 for a two-mile ride according to the company, could be used on roadways and in bike lanes with a maximum speed of 15 mph. Riders were “required to be 18 years old and above” to access the scooters but, as seen when the Birds were picked up from Rogers Park in November, the rides were often used by teens and preteens.
City of Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) staff promoted the Birds’ arrival, making a YouTube video of what to do – and not do – while riding the new transport. Asserting the CVB in no way oversaw the Bird program, the visitors’ center did work to support what the nonprofit called “a fun and exciting new way to see the sights.” Bird is an independent electric transportation company that operates globally, with locally contracted fleet managers, “who maintain the scooters,” the CVB advised.
A Bird spokesperson told The Examiner that the company is currently courting new fleet management for the Beaumont area and that, at least for now, the local program has been “paused.”
“We’re proud to be a part of the Beaumont community, providing a sustainable, affordable alternative to car use. There has been an overwhelmingly positive response from riders, city leaders and other stakeholders,” Bird Global Communications Senior Director Campbell Millum began, before confirming that the service is no longer available for those users. “We temporarily paused our operations during the slower winter months in the city as we bring on a new local partner to lead on-the-ground logistics.
“We’re confident we’ll find the right fit for the market very soon and Bird vehicles will be back on the roads.”