city council

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

After directing the city to prepare a franchise agreement with an electric scooter company in May, the Moorhead City Council reversed course Monday and shot down the Birds.

Bird Scooters, a Santa Monica, California, company, sought the city’s approval last March to locate a fleet of 100 of the motor-powered two-wheeled vehicles in high-traffic locations around the city. The vehicles could be rented for short-distance rides between public destinations, mostly downtown and near the college campuses. Bird operates similar fleets in 42 cities around the U.S. The fee for a typical 5-minute ride is $5.

Moorhead resident Laurie Christianson spoke against the scooter franchise. Based on her experience in Austin, Texas, she said, “They end up everywhere – in ditches, in forested areas. They’re an eyesore.” Addressing the company’s pledge to have a full-time manager to handle returns, she added, “No matter how much they try, the scooters don’t get back where they belong.” She also expressed concern about pedestrian and vehicle safety around inexperienced riders on unfamiliar vehicles.

Council member Deb White offered a contrasting view. “They’re all over where our son is going to school, and they’re very popular,” she reported. “They open up transportation opportunities for those who don’t have cars, especially low-income individuals.” She predicted the scooters could help achieve the city’s goal of more population density – and fewer cars – downtown.

Chuck Hendrickson supported Christianson’s points. He told the group that he and his family saw many rented scooters lying around during a recent trip to the Twin Cities, he said: “It looked like a total mess. We had to dodge three or four lying in the middle of the road.” He concluded, “I think they’re more of a nuisance than anything else.”

The franchise ordinance would have required the council’s vote of 6 to 2 to proceed to a second hearing. Instead, three members voted “no”: Hendrickson and Matt Gilbertson, who had voted thumbs-down when Birds were first discussed three months ago, and Shelly Dahlquist, who initially supported the plan in May.