Disabilities commission shares concerns over Bird scooters

While it’s only been less than a month since Bird scooters came to Columbia, resident Lillian Davis said she wants them gone–for good.

“I had a very bad experience with a scooter and a young man on it and a deaf person standing in front of me. I hollered ‘look out’ and it was too late because that scooter was right on top on me,” Davis, who is in a wheelchair, told ABC 17 News Thursday.

Her comments come ahead of the Columbia City Council’s meeting Monday, where leaders are expected to address the issue. On Thursday, several members of the Disabilities Commission also gathered to express their concerns.

“Bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalks, skateboards are not allowed on the sidewalks–so why should the scooters be allowed on the sidewalks?” Davis questioned, citing the city’s ordinance that prohibits cyclists from riding on sidewalks in the business district.

ADA Coordinator Adam Kruse said Thursday that the city is in negotiations with Bird scooter and as part of the agreement, users will have to maintain an accessible path on the sidewalk with a minimum of 48 inches of clearance.

“We’re going to be relying a bit on users, obviously,” Kruse said.

He said any complaint the city receives will be forwarded to a Bird scooter representative, and he or she will have a set amount of time to fix the issue.

Davis said she filed a complaint after a scooter in the sidewalk damaged her wheelchair, but the representative told her it was her responsibility to move the scooter and repair her wheelchair.

Bird issued a statement in response and said it is deeply committed to working with cities and communities to encourage the safety of residents.

“Rider education is our top priority at Bird, and we are committed to partnering with all cities to ensure that the community, and its visitors, safely embrace our affordable, environmentally friendly transportation option. We strongly encourage the safe parking of our vehicles out of the public right of way through concrete action, such as requiring riders to take a photo of how they parked their Bird at the end of every ride. This helps Bird take action to ensure frequent violators of Bird’s parking rules are suspended or deactivated.

“We strongly recommend reporting any safety concerns that Bird scooters are involved in, as we have a support team dedicated to safety that is available around the clock to address questions and reports we receive. We provide a number of ways for people to reach us including by email ( Hello@bird.co ), our in-app messaging feature, and by phone. We strive to respond to all inquiries in a timely fashion and are continually striving for an immediate response time.” – a Bird spokesperson

Local rules are also listed on the app and it says traffic regulations prohibit the use of sidewalks.

While Davis hopes to see the scooters go away, some members of the disabilities commission said they are torn and acknowledged their use for public transportation, particularly with the city’s cuts to bus routes.

Kruse said Bird has submitted applications for a business license and paid the fee. He said the licensing process is now tied to an agreement that the city is working out with Bird.