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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/1/2019 Item 09, Harter (on behalf of Bird) Wilbanks, Megan From:Fukushima, Adam Sent:Tuesday, October 1, 2019 4:04 PM To:CityClerk Subject:FW: Official Bird Letter on Micro-mobility Study Session Attachments:SLO Letter to Council.pdf Please see the attached letter below for Item #9 on shared bicycle services. Adam Fukushima Active Transportation Manager Public Works 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E AFukushima@slocity.org T 805.781.7590 slocity.org From: Tim Harter < Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2019 3:12 PM To: Harmon, Heidi <hharmon@slocity.org> Subject: Official Bird Letter on Micro-mobility Study Session Good Afternoon Mayor Harmon and City Council, Please find attached a letter from Bird regarding tonights study session on micro-mobility. Sincerely, -- Tim Harter I Bird Government Relations tharter@bird.co www.bird.co 1 October 1st, 2019 Dear Mayor Harmon and City Council, Bird is a first/last-mile electric vehicle sharing company dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solutions to communities across the world. We are the creators of e-scooter sharing technology and strive to make cities healthier and more livable with less traffic, cleaner air, and safer streets. Now available in over 100 cities, we would be honored to bring this sustainable transit option to the City of San Luis Obispo for residents to enjoy. Thank you for entertaining this discussion on micro-mobility. Bird has seen first-hand how important it is for our transportation solution to be integrated thoughtfully into a community, therefore we worked diligently with the City to ensure that a program was created that met San Luis Obispo’s distinct needs. We acted in good faith and did not launch as requested, but were saddened to learn that e-scooters are no longer included as something that should be explored. According to the most recent US Environmental Protection Agency 2018 report, the transportation sector accounts for 28 percent of greenhouse gas emissions into the air. “The largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars and light-duty trucks, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans.” The average distance on a Bird ride throughout the world is 1.5 miles, a distance too far to walk for many. Bird is reducing GHG emissions in communities and improving the quality of life of residents who are exhausted from sitting in traffic. The e-scooter industry launched just 2 years ago and there have been over 200 million miles conducted on e-scooters showing a strong demand for e-scooters. As the creator and industry leader in electric scooter mobility, Bird takes the importance of safety education about our evolving transportation option very seriously. In order to support and protect the safety and welfare of our riders and communities, Bird dedicates significant resources to providing clear instructions about safe practices on our vehicles. Since launching, we have voluntarily deployed the following safety mechanisms in cities we operate in: - Provided more than 65,000 free helmets to our riders. - Implemented comprehensive online and offline safety campaigns and tutorials. - Created a forward-thinking and inclusive Global Safety Advisory Board. - Reduced improper rider parking and nest congestion with locally-hired Bird Watchers. - Introduced our Community Mode platform that empowers individuals to report instances of poor parking and damaged vehicles to the company. - Have begun testing incentivizing riders to park in appropriate locations. Over the past two years, Bird has created solutions to many of the problems that cities have brought to our attention. For instance, at the end of every ride, riders are prompted in the app to take a photo of their Bird with a message at the top that reads: “Please park nicely. Don’t block sidewalks, ramps or doorways.” We are also able to create “No Parking Zones” around the city, With geofencing technology, we are able to identify ideal parking locations and encourage riders to park at these locations with incentives. We launched an incentive parking campaign in Santa Monica this past Summer and saw rider behavior drastically change to park in designated parking spots. We also work with the business community including restaurants and hotels to identify parking locations on private property. E-scooters are much smaller than e-bikes and thus only need a small footprint for parking locations. Many cities have created dockless pilot programs that include e-bikes and e-scooters encouraging people to use alternative modes of transportation without having to jump in a car. We ask that City Council and staff consider bringing both e-scooters and e-bikes to San Luis Obispo. If you want a successful micrombility program it should be open to all shared mobility devices as people want options to get from Point A to Point B. Together, we can help achieve San Luis Obispo’s goals of enhancing sustainable transportation, continuing to implement the Climate Action Plan, and help residents and visitors safely get around SLO with ease. We have seen larger adoption of people getting out of their cars when they have multiple options. We ask you to please consider adding e-scooters to your micro mobility program and thank you for taking this exciting step to reduce car trips in your community! Sincerely, Tim Harter Government Partnerships Bird Rides, Inc.