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Jun 06, 2023

Bird's Electric Scooters, E

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — An electric scooter and bike sharing service is expanding to new areas in Anne Arundel County.

County Executive Steuart Pittman announced Tuesday that the service, called Bird, will soon be available in Parole. This will be Bird's second territory in the Annapolis area.

Bird debuted in the City of Annapolis last May. That micro-transit service has connected the Main Street and West Street corridors during the reconstruction of the Noah Hillman Garage. That garage rebuild has forced drivers to park further away from downtown.

Related: New Hillman Garage Celebrates 'Topping Out,' Targets June Opening

The new Bird territory in Parole lies outside the Annapolis city limits. Parole is home to shopping destinations like the Westfield Annapolis mall and the Annapolis Town Center.

Patch asked county officials when Bird will launch in Parole and how large the coverage area will be. We also asked if Bird will expand to other areas outside of Parole. We will update this story when we get a response.

"To get cars off the road, we must provide alternative modes of transportation to our residents," Pittman said in a press release. "As we celebrate Bike to Work Day, I’m thrilled to announce our new partnership with Bird to provide our residents and visitors a new, environmentally friendly way to travel around our county."

Bird lets users pay a small fee to ride their e-scooters and e-bikes that are scattered around town. Users find a scooter or bike, scan its barcode with the Bird mobile application and start riding.

The app will charge users for how long they ride. Riders park the scooters and bikes on a public sidewalk and take a picture of the vehicle when they are done.

There will be discounts for low-income riders, Pell Grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens.

Bird will also offer free rides for health care workers and emergency personnel.

Qualifying riders can sign up on the Bird app by creating an account and emailing proof of eligibility to [email protected].

"We applaud Anne Arundel County for their commitment to offering convenient, environmentally friendly, and reliable transportation options to residents and visitors," said Chris Stockwell, Director of Government Partnerships at Bird. "We're excited to build a more regional micro-mobility system for the Anne Arundel community."

Pittman will formally announce the partnership on Thursday alongside Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley during a Bike to Work Day event.

Pittman and Buckley will take scooters or bikes to Susan B. Campbell Park near Annapolis City Dock at 8 a.m. The duo will greet cyclists and then give more details on their partnership with Bird.

The event will also showcase other mobility options for county residents. All are welcome to attend the gathering, which was planned by:

Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, also known as BikeAAA, recently launched Cycling Without Age. This service provides rides on a disability-friendly electric-assist trishaw to local seniors.

"Micro-mobility devices and shared systems are an integral component of the Walk and Roll Anne Arundel Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan," said Sam Snead, Director of the Anne Arundel County Office of Transportation. "These options will offer new and powerful ways to help people meet their transportation needs and overcome barriers that would otherwise prevent them from taking active forms of transportation."

Registration for the Bike to Work Day event is available at biketoworkmd.com.

Interested riders can download the Bird app at this link. More information on the business is posted at bird.co.

Related: Bird App Launches In Annapolis, Offers Shared Electric Scooters, Bikes

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