The shared mobility company will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday September 19th in Courthouse Square

On Monday, September 19, 2022, Bird Global, Inc., a leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and press conference to formally announce the launch of the Santa Rosa scooter share program. The event will take place in Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa at 12pm, and will feature guest remarks from Mayor Chris Rogers, and Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Eris Weaver.

Bird originally performed a soft launch in Santa Rosa in July, but has since scaled up its shared electric scooter fleet to 200 vehicles within the City. People can ride the electric scooters by first downloading the Bird app, uploading identification and a payment method, and then by scanning the QR code featured on each vehicle. The initial service area includes downtown Santa Rosa, the Junior College Neighborhood, and Roseland. Bird has also implemented geofences in partnership with the City to limit the areas where people can ride safely.

“Bird is excited to launch a shared mobility program in the City of Santa Rosa with the aim of providing carbon free transportation options to residents, commuters, and tourists” said Austin Marshburn, Director of City and University Partnerships. “Our Santa Rosa program will complement our existing presence in Windsor, and our soon to launch shared system in Healdsburg.”

One of the central goals of Santa Rosa’s Pilot Program is the concept of equity. Specifically, to ensure as many people as possible have access to Bird’s scooters, and that price is not a barrier to meaningful transportation. As such, Bird offers a variety of discounted and cashless programs that can be accessed via its app. These include:

• Community Pricing Program: Bird offers qualifying groups such as veterans, students, teachers, senior citizens, and low-income individuals 50% off rides. Click here to apply.
• Alternative Payment Methods: Scooters may be rented by those without a smart phone using the methods outlined here. Scooters may be rented by those without a credit card using the methods outlined here.
• Accessible Mobility Program: People may rent seated scooters at a subsidized price for up to 14 days using the methods outlined here.

About Bird

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 450 cities globally and makes its products available for purchase at www.bird.co and via leading retailers and distribution partners. Bird partners closely with the cities in which it operates to provide a reliable and affordable transportation option for people who live and work there.

Visit https://www.srcity.org/3651/Bike-Scooter-Share to learn more about Santa Rosa's scooter share pilot program.