By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A new transportation option is entering Whitewater after city officials have signed off on an agreement with an electric scooter company.
Bird Rides Inc., one in a growing fleet of companies hoping to harness the app-based culture with electric scooter rentals, will enter into a pilot agreement of up to 12 months with the city. The Common Council approved the agreement June 1.
The council had a preliminary discussion of the Bird proposal last month, but opted to hold off on an official vote at the time until a company representative was available to discuss a range of questions about the new service.
Michael Covato, a member of Bird’s revenue and partnership team, discussed the logistics and philosophy of the agreement at the most recent council meeting.
Based on the still-pending final details of the agreement, Covato said Bird’s scooters only will be operable within specifically designated areas within the city. If a rider were to attempt to use a scooter outside Whitewater’s city limits, for instance, it would become inoperable since they are synced to GPS.
“We have sophisticated technology,” Covato said.
Throughout the recent conversation, various questions related to placement of the scooters were raised, including where riders would be able to access them.
Covato said Bird’s business model is built around working with a community-based fleet manager who would be responsible for “rebalancing” the scooters and ensuring each docking location had a readily available fleet.
“That way, we don’t have them all clustered at the same location,” Covato said. “Given the geography of Whitewater, most of the community can be easily navigated.”
It remains uncertain if the scooters will be accessible on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus. Preliminary discussions last month hinted that campus officials tentatively were not interested in having them on university property, but several city officials at the recent meeting said talks are ongoing.
Regardless of the university’s participation, Covato said Bird remains interested in testing the Whitewater market.
“This is another transportation option people can choose from if their circumstances are right,” he said.
Cathy Anderson, the city’s economic development director, said she believed Bird would be a positive addition to Whitewater.
“The consensus is, good for the community, good for the students,” Anderson said. “(Bird) is getting a lot of traction.”
No firm date has been set for Bird’s official rollout in Whitewater. City Manager Cameron Clapper and City Attorney Wally McDonell are hammering out some of the granular details, including hours of operation and where the scooter docking stations will be located.
Applicants sought for vacant District 2 seat
In other business June 1, the council opted to follow a familiar course and seek applicants for the recently vacated District 2 aldermanic seat. UW-Whitewater student Matthew Schulgit last month resigned from the position because he is graduating.
Residents living within District 2 can submit an application for appointment for the seat, which includes representation of the university and a few adjacent areas within the city.
Details of a deadline for submissions are still being worked out, but the council is anticipating interviewing applicants and making a selection at a meeting July 20.
