MOUNT VERNON – The new Bird e-scooters that recently arrived in Mount Vernon provide a “way for people [to get] around town affordably,” said Nathan Smith, the owner of the local scooter franchise.
“It’s like a motor vehicle,” Smith told Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr in his podcast. “You operate in the streets and you go with the flow of traffic and just get where you’re going.”
Smith said the scooters can be found all over town and can be activated with an app on your phone or by scanning a QR code that points you to the app.
It costs $1 to unlock a scooter and 39 cents a minute to use it.
So far in Mount Vernon, the scooters have been used by a lot of riders for entertainment, as is typical for any city, Smith said.
But for other riders, the scooters have provided vital transportation according to customer feedback.
“I found a babysitter who took a scooter to the IGA and brought home some groceries,” Smith said. “I had someone the other day whose car blew a tire so (they) pulled over on the side of the road and took a scooter. For some people, there is an urgency to get somewhere and if you don’t have a way, this is a great way to get where you’re going.”
Mayor Starr praised the scooter program.
“Here is a transportation service that reduces the carbon footprint,” Starr said. “It’s not another car taking up space on the road. As we try to reduce traffic in the downtown area in particular, this a great opportunity to do that.”
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