Bird scooters, Milwaukee reach settlement with summer around the corner
The settlement doesn't make clear whether the electric scooters will return to Milwaukee as warm weather approaches.
Bird scooters, Milwaukee reach settlement with summer around the corner The settlement doesn't make clear whether the electric scooters will return to Milwaukee as warm weather approaches. Check out this story on jsonline.com: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2019/05/09/bird-scooters-milwaukee-reach-settlement/1151142001/
Alison Dirr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 11:12 a.m. CT May 9, 2019 | Updated 11:37 a.m. CT May 9, 2019
With summer around the corner, the City of Milwaukee and Bird Rides have reached an agreement in a court case over the motorized scooters the company released around the city last summer.
But that doesn't necessarily mean the scooters will soon return to the streets of Milwaukee.
The City of Milwaukee and the company that owns Bird scooters reached an agreement in a federal court case Wednesday. (Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Court records filed Wednesday in federal court do not detail the terms of the settlement.
Jonathan Hackbarth, an attorney representing Bird Rides, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Thursday that he couldn't comment on the agreement.
A voicemail message left with the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office Thursday morning was not immediately returned.
And there remains another challenge: The scooters are not yet permitted under state law, despite a pair of bills proposed in the state Legislature.
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The legislation would make electric scooters legal on Wisconsin roads, according to a co-sponsorship memo. Local municipalities would be able to pass ordinances that would allow businesses to rent out scooters. Municipalities would also be able to set limitations, including on where the scooters can be parked.
"By providing clarity for a rapidly growing industry, we empower our local governments to make the decisions that best fit their community while attracting startup companies to Wisconsin," the memo states.
Bird scooters in Milwaukee
Carolyn Gambill (left) of Milwaukee and her sister Jeannie Cleveland, visiting from Boulder, Colo., go riding around the lakefront on Bird scooters near Veterans Park in Milwaukee. The City of Milwaukee took legal action against Santa Monica, Calif.-based Bird Rides Inc., the company responsible for dropping off 100 motorized scooters in the Historic Third Ward, Walker's Point and other parts of downtown late last month. Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A couple rides their bird scooters down Brady St. in Milwaukee. The City of Milwaukee took legal action against Santa Monica, Calif.-based Bird Rides Inc., the company responsible for dropping off 100 motorized scooters in the Historic Third Ward, Walker's Point and other parts of downtown late last month. Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Before the Bird scooter is ready to go, the user must agree to half a dozen rules on the app. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A collection of Bird scooters wait to be rented near the Milwaukee County historical center at 910 North Old World Third Street. The City of Milwaukee took legal action against Santa Monica, Calif.-based Bird Rides Inc., the company responsible for dropping off 100 motorized scooters in the Historic Third Ward, Walker's Point and other parts of downtown late last month. Asad Ware / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bird scooters are parked in the Walker's Point area of Milwaukee. James B. Nelson / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Kirby Bridges (left) and Megan Garlington pose with the Bird scooters they were taking for an afternoon ride in Milwaukee. Milwaukee is suing California-based Bird to stop the company from renting scooters because the city contends they are illegal to operate on streets and sidewalks. Associated Press
The scooters descended, unannounced, on the city in June, prompting a frustration at City Hall over safety and legality under state law. When the company refused to comply with a cease-and-desist letter, the city responded by filing the lawsuit.
The company ultimately agreed to remove the scooters.
In an August statement announcing the removal, the city and company said they were working on creating a scooter-sharing program that would launch once e-scooters are legalized in the state.
The electric scooters have also prompted controversy elsewhere in the country.
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