By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The number of rides taken on Bird Scooters in the city has surpassed 20,000 in about six months of use.
The electric scooters, which arrived in the city in mid-May, have been ridden over approximately 50,000 miles so far, Mayor Tom McNamara said Friday during a scheduled availability with reporters.
“That kind of blew me away,” he said. “If you think about it, 50,000 miles is like driving the circumference of the Earth twice.”
Data shared by Bird Scooters shows 468 people use them on a consistent basis to go to and from school or work, McNamara said.
“That is avoiding about 11.25 metric tons of carbon emissions,” he said. “It’s another way that we can add some recreation but also some utilitarian aspects to them all while helping the environment.”
The scooters, which can travel up to 15 miles per hour, will soon be stored for winter. But, the company plans to bring them back out in spring.
The electric scooters’ use is limited to a designated zone in the city bounded by Central Avenue, Auburn Street, Morgan Street and Third Street. Bird has been thrilled with the response so far this year, McNamara said, and it could expand the territory in the future.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter @KevinMHaas.