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The Evolution Of Bird Scooters In The Triad

Tuesday night, the City of Greensboro passed a new ordinance that allows electric scooters back in, but there is a catch.

PIEDMONT TRIAD, N.C. -- Turkeys aren't the only birds in the hot seat this month. Bird scooters have made quite the name for themselves in the Triad, prompting city leaders in Winston-Salem and Greensboro to look at new rules.

So, what came first: the scooters or the problems?

Bird will tell you they launched their electric scooters in cities across the country as a quick, cheap and convenient way to get around, a solution to a lot of commuter struggles. Many users agree.

But since the scooters rolled into the Triad's two largest cities over the summer, they've also ruffled some feathers. Both Greensboro and Winston-Salem banned the scooters over safety concerns like blocking sidewalks, riding against traffic, poor visibility. City workers in both places wound up pulling the scooters off the streets.

But Tuesday night, the City of Greensboro passed a new ordinance that allows electric scooters back in, but there is a catch.

There's no flying through traffic. Scooter users have to follow the same traffic laws as cars. That means stopping at stop lights and yielding to people on foot, and using bike lanes. You also can't ride them on the sidewalks or parking decks and they have to be left in a certain places or else the city could impound them.

The City of Winston-Salem is currently working on a similar ordinance they expect to have drafted over the next few months.

According to Bird's website, they're based in Santa Monica, California. Many of the executives have have backgrounds with ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft.

They've spread their wings not just in the Triad, but across the country, forcing a lot of cities to look at new ways to regulate them.

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