Nashville launches sweeps to remove all Bird scooters from public rights-of-way

Metro government confiscated between 140 and 150 Bird scooters from public rights-of-way in Nashville over a 24-hour stretch Wednesday and Thursday as the city takes aim at a popular electronic scooter that it says continues to operate illegally.

The round-up, executed by Metro Public Works, has depleted the city's inventory of Birds by more than half.

Cortnye Stone, spokeswoman for the public works department, confirmed that sweeps started on Wednesday, followed by more rounds Thursday morning and afternoon. It's unclear if more sweeps were planned Friday.

She said the vast majority of removed scooters were parked on sidewalks. Most have been downtown.

"We're just driving around, and if a Bird is in a public right-of-way — most have been on the sidewalks — then we pick it up. If it's on private property, we leave it alone," Stone said.

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The sweeps followed the deadline in a cease and desist letter that Metro issued on May 8, giving the company 15 days to remove the scooters from public rights-of-way.

The decision to move forward with confiscation came as Metro has also asked a judge to issue an injunction to force Bird to remove the scooters from public rights-of-way. A court hearing is set for June 13.

Metro has pointed to a code that prohibits obstructions in rights-of-way, arguing that abandoned Bird scooters classify.

"Bird respects the city’s role in enforcing all traffic and parking rules, such as towing illegally parked cars and returning them," Kenneth Baer, a spokesman for Bird, said in a statement. "We will engage with city officials with the goal of developing a fair process to review the reasons for confiscating Birds and having them returned."

Bird scooters, popular in many cities across the country, arrived in Nashville on May 6.

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They do not use docks, so users can park the scooters wherever they end their ride. At the end of the day, the scooters are collected and returned to their "nests" to recharge. From there, riders can pick the scooters up in the morning.

Bird users pay through a phone app.

Newly filed Metro Council legislation, sponsored by Public Works Committee chairman Jeremy Elrod, seeks to create a new framework for Bird or similar companies to operate.

The bill, set for a first of three votes Tuesday, would include fees per scooter or bike, consumer education on parking and safety, and would require city access to a company's data on ridership.

Bird users are supposed to use streets and bike lanes, similar to cyclists, and not sidewalks. At the end of their rides, they're directed to park their Birds like bikes "and not block sidewalks, doorways or ramps.”

After launching, Bird scooters have grown to number around 250 in Nashville. The service is billed as a "last mile" solution to commutes, or for trips that are too far to walk.