NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bird, a leader in
environmentally friendly electric transportation, today announced
it will launch its service in New York
City as part of the NYC DOT's pilot e-scooter program on
Tuesday, August 17th.
Through this program, which featured a competitive and rigorous
vetting process, Bird is launching 1,000 of its new Bird Three
vehicles in the Bronx. This
expansion into the most populous city in the United States follows Bird's
300th city launch and the announcement of its intention
to enter the public markets through a definitive agreement with
Switchback II Corporation (NYSE: SWBK).
Bird's entry into the city comes as part of New York City's first ever shared e-scooter
adoption efforts. Mandated by city council legislation passed in
June 2020 and through the support of
Councilmember Cabrera, the first phase of the New York City
Department of Transportation's e-scooter pilot program brings 3,000
shared electric vehicles to the Bronx. Focused on improving transportation
equity, the program is designed to test the use of these vehicles
in the city and collect relevant insights, as well as focus on
providing the area with affordable and sustainable transportation
options.
Bird was selected based on the criteria of past performance in
other cities, accessibility options, familiarity with the metro
area, rider safety features, and more. Of a narrowed list of about
a dozen applicants, New York City
selected only three operators, including Bird, for its pilot
program. As the first to launch a shared e-scooter program in 2017,
and the first e-scooter provider to launch in New York State when it entered Yonkers in 2020, Bird's experience and ties to
the community played a key factor in its selection.
With an aligned commitment to rider and community safety, Bird
is partnering with NYC DOT to provide residents and visitors to the
City access to the Bird Three, the industry's most eco-conscious
e-scooter which features key benefits including smart accelerating
technology to comply with local speed limits, real time monitoring
and diagnostics to ensure superior vehicle function, and more. In
addition to its commitment to rider and community safety, Bird is
further ensuring its equitable contributions to the area by
partnering with the Fortune Society – a local non-profit
organization dedicated to supporting the successful reentry into
society and employment of formerly incarcerated persons – to hire
25 individuals to help manage and support its local fleets.
"The traffic, congestion and unacceptable road safety statistics
in large cities were a driving factor in founding Bird. If we
replace gas-powered car trips in communities with eco-friendly
vehicles such as scooters and bikes, communities benefit from less
congestion, safer streets and reduced carbon emissions," said
Travis VanderZanden, Bird founder
and CEO. "Through our collaboration with local legislators,
community groups and the NYC DOT, we are working to
eliminate transit deserts and provide the foundation for the
citywide implementation of these environmentally friendly
transportation alternatives."
About Bird:
Bird is an electric vehicle company dedicated to bringing
affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solutions such
as e-scooters and e-bikes to communities across the world. Today,
it provides fleets of shared micro electric vehicles to riders in
more than 300 cities globally and makes its products available for
purchase at www.bird.co and via leading retailers and distribution
partners. Bird partners closely with the cities in which it
operates to provide a reliable and affordable transportation option
for people who live and work there. Founded in 2017 by
transportation pioneer Travis
VanderZanden, Bird is rapidly expanding.
About Switchback II Corporation:
Switchback II Corporation was formed for the purpose of
effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset
acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business
combination with one or more businesses or entities. Switchback
focused its search for a target business in the broad energy
transition or sustainability arena targeting industries that
require innovative solutions to decarbonize in order to meet
critical emission reduction objectives.
Media Contact
Jed Hamilton
BirdPR@icrinc.com
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SOURCE Switchback II Corporation