GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The city’s Improvement and Services Committee approved an agreement with the company, Bird, to begin a pilot program. Appleton is currently in its own pilot program with Bird.
The streets and sidewalks of Green Bay could become home to electric scooters as early as next month. Green Bay is looking to begin its pilot program, similar to one the City of Appleton is already running.
“What we’re hoping to do with that pilot program is, again it would end in 2021, is to generate data showing ridership and what the appetite for such a program here in Green Bay would be,” said City of Green Bay’s director of public works, Steve Grenier.
The e-scooters connect with the Bird app, which can be downloaded your smartphone. Green Bay would start with 100 scooters, primarily around downtown. Grenier tells FOX 11 they will only be operate within city limits.
“Using GIS they’re able to put a geo-fence around Green Bay. While the scooter has the ability to operate to a speed up to 15 miles per hour, the minute you cross that line the onboard GPS on the scooter slows you down to one and a half to two miles per hour.”
Appleton has been running its pilot program since late April with 50 scooters. Department of Public Works collects complaints monthly and runs them by their committee overseeing the program.
“We were very mixed on excitement, but we knew there was going to be concerns, which is why we didn’t just jump into it,” said City of Appleton’s director of public works, Paula Vandehey. “We said we needed to have a pilot.”
Right now, Appleton says one of the biggest problems with the scooters is not enough people walk them down College Avenue, which is a pedestrian only zone.
“A lot of the doors of the stores and restaurants open right into the sidewalk, so that could be a really dangers situation,” said Vandehey.
For safety reasons, the e-scooters will be regulated similarly to bikes.
The Green Bay City Council will need to approve the agreement with a super majority at its meeting next week. Then the program can begin, and the city and Bird can begin gauging interest.
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