The East Lansing city council hopes to hear this week from two companies entering the scooter ride-sharing business.
These scooters aren’t motorcycle-like mopeds, but rather the kind you stand on. They’re motorized, and two companies, Bird and Lime, are deploying them in cities around the country. Users download an app and pay for the time the scooter is in use, leaving it at their destination.
In East Lansing, Bird scooters arrived about ten days ago. Mayor Pro-Tem Erik Altmann says Bird never contacted city hall. “You know, we don’t like surprises," Altmann says, "because we want to plan rather than react.”
Altmann adds that the council wants to learn more about Bird, how in handles liability issues, safety issues, and what ton do with scooters that are parked on the sidewalk where they’re a nuisance. "We also need to hear from the community about what they want," continues Altmann, "whether they like these things, whether they want to use them.”
To learn more, the city has invited Bird and Lime to make presentations at the council meeting Tuesday night. Lime has told the city they’ll send a representative, but it isn’t clear if anyone from Bird will attend.
The council meeting starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday at East Lansing city hall.
