John Minchillo / AP
Sharable electric scooters by Bird wait on sidewalks for pedestrian use in Cincinnati. The company is hoping to gain a foothold in Las Vegas.
Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 | 2 a.m.
The electric scooter-sharing company Bird has a vision of UNLV students riding their devices throughout campus and the nearby neighborhood.
Bird would place its rentable scooters on campus and the adjacent Maryland Parkway corridor, company rep Neil Tomlinson told Clark County commissioners this week. Bird is one of several scooter-sharing companies in a young industry that was burgeoning in lively cities worldwide before the coronavirus pandemic.
The Legislature passed a bill last year allowing electric scooters in Nevada, subject to local regulations. That started Tomlinson’s discussions with the county and other interested local parties that could have added Las Vegas to the nearly 125 markets that already have the scooters.
Bird’s dockless scooters top out at 15 mph, are findable and unlocked by app, and cost $1 to start plus a per-minute fee. Company rules require driver’s licenses and helmets for use, and prohibit double-riding, riding on sidewalks, and operators under 18.
Tomlinson acknowledged some industry-wide “growing pains” over the last couple of years but said there has been ensuing improvement, and touted Bird as being part of the solution as car use rebounds from coronavirus lockdowns earlier this year.
“E-scooters can be a part of the overall mobility solution. They can help with bad air quality issues. They can help with congestion issues,” he said. “There’s been a decline in public transit use that Bird can actually help with because they help get people to and from public transportation.”
He said the scooters can be programmed to be inoperable on the Strip or in other resort areas, and said they could boost small businesses by bringing in traffic, especially if designated parking “nests” are located nearby.
Commissioner Michael Naft said he’s willing to continue talks but wouldn’t consider anything without UNLV support and extensive consultation with traffic authorities.
University spokesman Tony Allen said that generally, with 35,000 students and staff plus daily visitors, “UNLV strives to ensure the safety of all who spend time on our campuses.”
As part of that effort, motorized scooters are banned on campus sidewalks.
“Through our ongoing master planning efforts, we’re continually evaluating options for transportation and pedestrian improvements that provide a safe, convenient experience for our students, staff and visitors,” Allen said.
Commissioner Jim Gibson asked if there was anything about the current proposal that would make a Las Vegas experience different from how shareable scooters have been received in other communities, such as in Southern California where leadership in some coastal towns have banned the scooters and frustrated residents have even chucked them into the sea.
Commission Chair Marilyn Kirkpatrick said older parts of town, such as the Maryland corridor, are congested and don’t have bicycle paths. She said the scooters will end up on sidewalks, even though they’re not supposed to go there, and she doesn’t know who will keep them off the sidewalks or how.
“Does Metro need one more thing to do?” she asked.
Metro government liaison A.J. Delap didn’t answer that directly, but said police were also hesitant. “We have great angst about the whole concept,” he said. “Even the pilot program drew our attention. We’re not even sure how to execute that.”
Delap said he appreciates Bird’s efforts, but the concept needs much more discussion.
“We’re a long ways from being anywhere near comfortable with the idea of these devices interacting with traffic,” he said.
Bird pitched commissioners last year on a pilot program to place its scooters in Downtown Summerlin, but didn’t get off the ground then, either.
“Other than some technology upgrades, I’m not sure what new information there is from the last two times this item’s been on the agenda here, with the exception of maybe less support from the people in the community,” Naft said.
