Biz ‘Bite:’ Bird to launch in Caldwell

The City of Caldwell and Bird have announced a pilot program bringing e-scooters to the city. The launch event is 2 p.m. June 30, with a route starting at The College of Idaho “hat” structure near the old train depot pick-up off Cleveland Boulevard. It will head toward Downtown Caldwell.

Bird, founded in 2017, is touted as a leader in affordable, environmentally friendly electric transportation. Today, it provides fleets of shared micro electric vehicles to riders in more than 400 cities globally.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bird to Caldwell and look forward to offering community members a new, eco-friendly and fun way to get around. Whether going to College of Idaho or Downtown Caldwell, residents and visitors will now have a new way to get there,” said Ofelia Morales, economic development specialist for the City of Caldwell, in a statement. “We expect the arrival of the scooters to bring an economic impact to our city, with riders more likely to shop at local businesses.”

Some features include:

• A community pricing program with a 50% discount to those who qualify
• Free rides for health care workers and emergency personnel
• Community mode for providing feedback

Bird stated it aims to make cities more livable by reducing car trips, traffic and carbon emissions. The company’s 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.

Austin Marshburn, head of city and university partnerships at Bird, said in a statement: “We applaud the City of Caldwell for their commitment to offering convenient, environmentally friendly and reliable transportation options to residents and visitors.”