BOZEMAN — You can soar along the streets of Bozeman as fast as you want now that Bird scooters are back.
Bozeman’s Director of Transportation and Engineering Nick Ross says there are plenty of things you shouldn't do while riding the popular electric scooters.
“We’re mostly concerned about them being parked on sidewalks, along curb ramps, all the places they could block accessibility,” said Ross.
Last year, Ross said they heard many complaints from folks about riders leaving scooters on their property and in front of their homes.
That’s why the city has created new policies.
“The main policy changes make it easier to contact Bird for service, they operate the scooters in town, they rebalance them, and they fix parking issues,” said Ross.
Bird’s contact info is now listed on the city's website making it easier for folks to have a scooter removed from an inconvenient spot.
If the city is ever forced to take action removing a scooter…
“We can charge the Bird company for that time,” said Ross.
Corrals on city street corners have helped encourage folks to park in specific areas, but Ross says it hasn’t completely solved the issue. That’s why they’ve enforced another new rule where riders must take a picture of their scooter and where it’s parked after a ride.
Ross says that even though new rules are being enforced, they can’t guarantee a world where electric scooters and Bozemanites live in perfect harmony.
“But we do think these policies will help,” said Ross
More information on policy plans for scooters now and in the future can be found here.
