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Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels announced that the city is teaming up with Bird, a leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, to bring shared e-scooters to the city starting Aug. 26.
Matt Fragale, owner of Port City Scooters, LLC and a Bird contractor, negotiated the agreement. Fragale set up a similar program in the City of Oswego.
The scooters are activated using Bird’s free mobile phone application and used to replace gas-powered car trips to the store, meeting with friends, or exploring the community within the Fulton city limits, the scooter’s operational zone. A fully charged Bird scooter can travel 15 to 20 miles depending on vehicle and terrain conditions. In addition, the Fulton Police Department will monitor the program in collaboration with Bird.
“We are delighted to partner with Bird and look forward to offering Fultonians a new, eco-friendly and fun way to get around,” said Mayor Michaels. “We’re joining more than 350 cities who have chosen to offer residents and visitors a new, low carbon way to explore, run errands, and get things done. I also want to thank Chris Waldron, the city’s director of Parks and Recreation, and Audrey Avery, fifth ward councilor, for helping onboard our agreement.”
Catholic Charities of Oswego County, 808 W. Broadway, will be a Bird drop off location, Michaels said. “This will give their clients another transportation option, while opening up opportunities for all Fulton residents and visitors. In addition to Catholic Charities, Bird scooters will be also be available at city parks, the downtown corridor, the Fulton War Memorial and Community Center, the ball fields by Lake Neahtahwanta, and a growing list of other locations. “We’re actively pursuing partnerships with a number of local businesses to add them to our list of drop off spots.,” Fragale said. The scooters will be able to be operated between the hours of 4:00 a.m. and midnight.
“We applaud the City of Fulton for their commitment to offering convenient, environmentally friendly and reliable transportation options to residents and visitor,” said Austin Marshburn, head of City and University Partnerships at Bird. “ Our scooters, developed by an in-house team of leading engineering and vehicle design experts, also provide a naturally, socially distanced way to get around and offer residents without cars another transportation option.”
Bird is proud to offer a number of features and benefits to riders in Fulton, Marshburn said, some of which include:
- Community Pricing: Bird’s inclusive Community Pricing Program offers a 50% discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens. Those who qualify can sign up by downloading the Bird app, creating an account and emailing proof of eligibility to access@bird.co.
- Free Rides for Healthcare Workers and Emergency Personnel: To recognize the individuals whose work continues to be so crucial to the health and safety of our communities, Bird offers free rides to healthcare workers and emergency personnel. Those who qualify can sign up by emailing a copy of their medical identification card, name and phone number to together@bird.co. Eligible riders receive two free 30-minute rides per day.
- Community Mode: Bird values community input. Anyone with a Bird account can report or provide feedback on vehicle-related issues such as poorly parked or damaged vehicles in their area by tapping the yield sign on the bottom left of the in-app Bird map. When a report is submitted, someone is assigned to correct the issue.
Bird is an electric vehicle company dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solutions such as e-scooters and e-bikes to communities across the world. Founded in 2017 by transportation pioneer Travis VanderZanden, Bird is rapidly expanding. Today, it provides fleets of shared micro electric vehicles to riders in more than 350 cities globally and makes its products available for purchase at www.bird.co and via leading retailers and distribution partners.
