Disclaimer & Summary:
So right out the gate you can see this is an opinion piece. But I base my opinions on facts and logic and I’ll include a fair amount of that within this article. So please give me a chance to win you over to my side of this debate. Because, in the end, I’m right! haha But seriously this isn’t a hit piece on Bird or e-scooters, if anything it’s a critique of where Raleigh is as a city with respect to having a bike friendly downtown area.
News Update:
This past Thursday Bird & Lime, two e-scooter companies announced they are leaving Raleigh (please try to hold your applause).
Who Bird & Lime Blamed:
The companies made it a point to say it was due to fees & regulation from the sitting city council that has “forced” them to abandon Raleigh. But the fees and regulations placed upon scooter companies operating in Raleigh was done to cover the added expense of policing these companies and their scooters as well as cover damages they may cause. If these scooter companies don’t cover these added expenses they will fall on the local tax payer to cover the difference. I for one am not willing to pay additional taxes for e-scooter companies to move in and disrupt the small city vibe Raleigh has going for it.
Electric Scooters Aren’t All Bad:
Now, I am not completely against e-scooters, in fact I like the idea of them. And the blame for the e-scooter situation does not fall 100% on the Bird, Lime and their riders. A big part of the problem is that the City of Raleigh is just NOT BIKE FRIENDLY enough at this time. I would like to see the city put serious effort into improving its friendliness toward bike and scooter riders.
The Important Take Away:
But here is the real situation, the truth behind it all. Bird & Lime are businesses and they are leaving because it’s either not profitable, or not profitable ENOUGH for them to stay. And that is not entirely due to the fees & regulations. Once again, Raleigh is not bike or scooter friendly enough at this time. If there were more bike/scooter lanes, more people would feel safe using them, so more people would use them and they would in fact become profitable even with the current fees & regulations. The solution is not to get rid of the fees & regulations, the solution is to make Raleigh more bike/scooter friendly so more people feel safe using these devices. The good news is we as a community can certainly work together to solve this problem.
But, Let us Not Forget:
2,000 scooters littering the streets of Downtown Raleigh should not be the goal. They can not be left in piles as I have seen, making it impossible for individuals with disabilities to navigate the sidewalks. Scooters roaming the sidewalks and pedestrian areas is not a good thing, in fact it’s not safe for rider or pedestrian. There must be designated areas for storage of these devices, and the riders must respect pedestrian traffic. There needs to be rider accountability. There needs to a compromise to find a solution that benefits all parties.
Tell Us What You Think:
The poll below allows for multiple answers, so mark all that are applicable and see what other people think.
Thank you for your time and please comment below if you have anything you’d like to add.
Bonus Material:
Check out this Instagram account dedicated to the destruction of Bird & Lime Scooters. https://www.instagram.com/birdgraveyard