Fort Collins, Colo., October 9, 2019 — Today the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University (CSU) announced they have selected Bird as the exclusive shared e-scooter partner for a 12-month pilot program. Bird, a leading provider of micro-mobility solutions, will bring its safety-centric, environmentally friendly service to Fort Collins and the CSU campus later this month.

“We are very excited about the partnership with Bird that ensures each e-scooter is operated and parked safely and in accordance with City rules through technological innovation, education, encouragement and enforcement,” said Mayor Wade Troxell. “This one-year pilot also provides a new sustainable multi-modal transportation option; connects with Transfort to encourage transit use; and provides additional opportunities for low-income residents to participate.”

Bird will launch with 500 of its vehicles throughout Fort Collins and around CSU’s campus. The shared e-scooters will be available for city residents, university students, and visitors alike via the Bird app. In anticipation of the launch, Bird, the City, and CSU will kick off an e-scooter safety education campaign to familiarize the community with the rules of the road and best practices for responsible use of shared e-scooters.

“We are deeply honored to exclusively meet the needs of the residents, students and visitors of Fort Collins and CSU,” said Arthur Ortegon, Government Partnerships of the Rockies Region at Bird. “In partnership with the city and university we will provide the community with an affordable alternative to pollution inducing and congestion causing car trips that also enables them to rediscover their local neighborhoods.”

Bird’s safety first policies and practices include: requiring all riders to complete in-app safety training before they ride, providing free helmets to all who want them, and enabling direct reporting of improper/sidewalk riding and irresponsible parking behavior through Bird’s in-app Community Mode feature.

"CSU is very hopeful that e-scooters will provide affordable access to our campuses. E-scooters will be an excellent tool to help with first mile access to transit serving CSU and will offer a great way for visitors to experience our beautiful campuses," said Aaron Fodge, CSU’s Alternative Transportation Manager.

Bird will partner with the City and university in safety education outreach to the CSU community and city residents in advance of launch so that students, administrators and staff have an early understanding of how the shared e-scooter service will work in and around campus. Following the launch, Bird’s Universities Team will partner with CSU to help ensure the micro-mobility program is successful in achieving shared goals of improving mobility for students and offering a more affordable alternative to ride hail or personal car travel.

For more information on the City of Fort Collins e-scooter program, visit: https://www.fcgov.com/escooters/.

Bird can be reached via email (hello@bird.co) or phone (1-866-205-2442) for any questions or concerns about the service. Individuals can also report any poorly parked Birds or damaged Birds to the company through Community Mode, an in-app reporting feature available to anyone who has the Bird app downloaded. For more information on Bird, visit: bird.co.

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