Electric scooters now in Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The city of Rockford has partnered with shared electric scooter company Bird Rides to bring e-scooters to Rockford for a pilot program starting Wednesday.

The scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city, according to an announcement by the city of Rockford on Wednesday.

The electric scooters can be used on roads and in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour. Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians and never blocking driveways. Riders are required to be at least 18-years-old to access the scooters, encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and required to obey all standard rules of the road.

Scooters will be limited to the Electric Scooter Zone which is bordered by Central Avenue, Auburn Street, Morgan Street and 3rd Street. Scooters taken out of the zone will be remotely disabled and users will be charged until returned to the zone and properly parked.

Bird offers the following programs that are available for all who qualify:

● Community Pricing - Bird’s Community Pricing Program offers a 50 percent discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens. It’s designed to be the most inclusive micromobility discount program available anywhere, according to the city of Rockford. To sign up for the Community Pricing Program, download the Bird app, create an account and email your proof of eligibility to access@bird.co.

● Free Rides for Healthcare Workers and Emergency Personnel - Bird is proud to offer free rides to healthcare workers and emergency personnel. To sign up, simply email a copy of your medical identification card along with your name and phone number to together@bird.co. Eligible riders will receive two free 30-minute rides per day for as long as it takes to help our communities to recover from this global health crisis.

If a resident has questions or concerns about the e-scooters the company can be reached directly at 1-866-205-2442 or hello@bird.co. More information about the company can be found on their website and on their blog.