Windsor-Essex residents get on board with Bird scooters

Bird e-scooters in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, July 8, 2021. (Chris Campbell/CTV Windsor)

Windsor, Ont. — Windsorites appear to have enjoyed soaring around the city on e-scooters, having travelled the highest distance across the country, according to Bird Canada’s national metrics.

Bird Canada launched a one-year pilot project with the City of Windsor in May and since then the company says the uptake as surpassed a number of key national metrics.

According to Bird Canada, since July the number of rides taken in Windsor has increased by 50 per cent and Windsor riders have the highest average ride durations and the highest average distance travelled across Canada.

In addition, Bird has seen over 16,000 unique riders since May and using 2016 census data that means 7.3 per cent of Windsor residents have tried out the e-scooters, the company says.

The pilot also produced some spinoff benefits include jobs for the 25 people who work at Bird, the launch of e-scooter tours, and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and traffic due to replacing vehicle rides with a zip on the scooter, Bird says.

Bird Canada says the scooters improve transport links across the city and help improve the appeal and economic potential of the Windsor riverfront as a drive for tourism.