NEENAH, Wis. — With a few touches of a cell phone app, Chris Haese quickly located a Bird scooter parked near Neenah City Hall.
This is the third year the city has worked with the dockless scooter sharing program.
“It’s been much more popular than we had anticipated. I think we see about 9,000 rides a year totaling over 20,000 miles,” said Haese, the city’s director of Community Development and Assessment. “That’s quite the distance on little scooters.”
Neenah, along with several other Fox Valley and northeast Wisconsin communities, are continuing to work with Bird on the service this year.
“It certainly is a transportation tool, but we also view it as an economic development tool, primarily in the world of tourism,” Haese said. “I don’t believe it’s a make or break, but it’s certainly one more asset we can offer folks who are visiting us here in the city.”
Appleton stepped away from the service for this year, citing safety and parking concerns.
In early May, Bird approached a city committee saying it is committed to find a solution to its concerns, including different parking options.
No immediate action was taken on the matter.
Mikarah Voster is a cosmetologist at Shear Chaos Hair Parlour in downtown Appleton. She said the scooters have their positive points — and drawbacks.
“I’ve seen a lot of good. I know a couple of people who live on the other side of the bridge. They will go from their job to home with the Bird scooters, which is really nice,” she said. “Also, Lawrence students have easier access to come down here, or even a little further, to travel to different shops.”
Voster said she’s also seen some problems.
“I’ve seen them park them right in front of businesses,” she said.
Menasha recently also approved continued association with Bird for the scooters. Haese said he expects the Bird program will evolve.
“I don’t foresee the program going away. The benefits far outweigh the negatives. I would say the only negative we see with the program is the parking of these in less-than-desirable locations. Blocking sidewalks and peoples’ front yards,” he said. “As Bird can improve the ability to determine and regulate where these get parked, I think that will help the program.”