Bird scooters coming to Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - City Council members are excited about Bird Scooters coming to downtown Charleston with so many fun activities on the horizon this summer.

“When they come out we hope we’ll be able to use them for at least part of FestivALL and during Regatta for people to get to Regatta without having to find as much parking,” said City Council Member Emmett Pepper.

There will be rules along with scooters; they won’t be allowed just anywhere. You can only ride them in the street, and they are not allowed in pedestrian zones.

“I think it’s a good thing to give people another option to get around town,” Pepper said. “We’ve put in a lot of really important safety measures for our citizens because it’s important they do this in a safe manner.”

Council members are excited about the economic boost this will bring because they will get a cut of the money you pay to ride the scooters, plus bringing more people downtown.

While you wait for the scooters to get to Charleston, which we’re told will be some time in June, you can get registered on the app and put all your info in, so when the scooters get there you’ll be ready to ride.

“There are actually options for people who are over 65, veterans, people who are on public assistance, college students to be able to get half off their rides,” Pepper said. “You may wanna get it all set up so you can have a fun ride when they get here.”

Events like FestivALL, Regatta and Live on the Levee will have roped-off sections where the scooters are not allowed, in efforts to keep people safe. If scooter laws are broken, riders could face fines in excess of $500.

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