MATTHEWS, N.C. — Matthews is now the first Mecklenburg County town to welcome electric scooters. The Charlotte suburb launched its one-year pilot program with Bird on Friday.
The streets of Matthews are often busy with shoppers, residents, and cars. Amy Williams, manager of Moxie Mercantile on Trade Street, told WCNC Charlotte she sees a lot of foot traffic.
With high gas prices, town leaders hope to help people save money on their way to work or an outing downtown by allowing e-scooters in the area.
“We thought it'd be a really good way to have some micro-transit that’s a little bit more affordable with gas prices going up, and traffic is bad," Mayor Pro Tem Ken McCool explained.
A flock of 50 Bird scooters landed in Matthews Friday and will be placed around apartment complexes and high-traffic areas. McCool added that town officials are aware of the high cost of living, and hope the e-scooters will make the area more affordable.
Williams is hopeful that the scooters bring more customers to her store.
“I think it’s amazing,” Williams said.
E-scooters have proven to be a more efficient and eco-friendly way to get around town.
"If you get people out of cars, it reduces gas emissions," McCool added.
For example, e-scooters zoomed into Charlotte in 2018. The city said in a recent Youtube video that riders have saved over 1.6 million car trips and 588 metric tons of CO2.
Now, scooters are a vital part of Charlotte’s 2040 Mobility plan, which aims to get more cars off the road by providing eco-friendly alternatives.
In Matthews, officials hope to expand the program if it goes well after the first year.
To make the program more affordable, Bird is offering low-income residents in Matthews 50% off of rides. According to the Town of Matthews website, eligible individuals include, "low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens."
The website says, "those who qualify can sign up by downloading the Bird app, creating an account, and emailing proof of eligibility to access@bird.co."
Plus, health care workers and emergency personnel can ride for free. The town is asking those who qualify to sign up for the free rides by emailing a copy of their medical identification card, name and phone number to together@bird.co, adding eligible riders will receive two free 30-minute rides per day.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.