Bird Canada is thrilled to announce a new transportation option for residents and visitors in Cranbrook. As part of our mission, we aim to reduce congestion and provide sustainable, efficient methods of moving around the city.

This pilot program, in compliance with the BC Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Regulation, will run from June 3 until mid-November. We will deploy up to 100 e-scooters across popular areas such as Rotary Park and Downtown Cranbrook. The full operation zone can be found in the Bird app when the service launches.

On June 3, the City of Cranbrook and the Bird Canada team hosted a special launch event at Rotary Park – in front of the Bandstand (134 10th Ave. S).

Attendees learned about the fundamentals of safe road use for non-car users, how to responsibly and properly ride and park Bird Canada vehicles, micro-mobility vehicle basics, tutorials on local rules of the road, and parking best practices. New riders also received a free helmet from Bird Canada.

“City council is very excited to see this provincially funded e-scooter pilot program up and running for both our residents and visitors to Cranbrook,” said Mayor Wayne Price. “I thank Coun. (Wes) Graham for championing this initiative, and I thank staff and Bird Canada for their efforts in bringing this pilot program to fruition. I think this will be a great alternative transportation option for people, and I am interested to see how well these e- scooters are used.”

Patrick Graham, General Manager at Bird Canada added, “We are excited to bring our e-scooter program to Cranbrook and start servicing more residents and visitors in B.C. With our extensive experience operating in 25 other Canadian cities across five provinces, we look forward to collaborating closely with the City of Cranbrook to ensure the success of this pilot program and to establishing a long-term partnership for sustainable transportation solutions.”

E-scooters will be available 24/7 and will feature additional safety measures to prevent usage by intoxicated riders. Each scooter will have a maximum speed of 24 km/h and will be accessible to individuals aged 16 and older.

Helmets are mandatory for all riders in Cranbrook. To start a ride, riders will have to take a selfie via the Bird app, which will detect in real-time whether the user is wearing a helmet. Each e-scooter will be equipped with a helmet cleaned frequently by the Bird Canada team, and riders may also choose to wear their own helmet.

Bird Canada will also work closely with the city to implement real-time safety features, including sidewalk detection technology that warns riders if they misuse the sidewalk and automatically slows the scooter to a stop. Warning sounds will alert near by pedestrians when e-scooters are approaching.

To report a problem, both riders and pedestrians are invited to contact the Bird Canada team at [email protected] or via the app’s “community” mode. Additional information is also available on the Bird app.

A standard pay-per-use fee structure will be set at $1 to unlock the e-scooter, plus $0.35 per minute. Daily, weekly, or monthly ride passes will also be available, along with a low- income pricing program.

More information will be provided to the public closer to the launch date.

Bird Canada is a Canadian micro-mobility provider that operates an electric vehicle-sharing program in over 25 cities in Canada. Bird Canada is a Canadian-owned and operated company that offers Canadians, and visitors, a new way to avoid congestion and get around that is sustainable and uses the most innovative last-mile mobility solutions for urban areas.

Lead image: (Left to right): Sven Sloeserwij, Marketing Coordinator, Cranbrook Tourism; Kristy Jahn-Smith, Executive Director, Cranbrook Tourism; Rob Veg, Manager of Planning, City of Cranbrook; Katelyn Pocha, Project Manager, City of Cranbrook; Councillor Lynnette Wray; Tyler Zeck, Western Region Rep Bird Canada; Mayor Wayne Price; Councillor Ron Popoff; Christine Boucher, Assistant Fleet Manager (Calgary) Bird Canada. City of Cranbrook photo

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