Bird and Lime scooters to cease operations in Raleigh

In statements to WRAL News, officials at Bird Scooters and Lime said they will soon cease operations in Raleigh.

"Our time in Raleigh must come to a close, but we hope to return in the future when city officials are ready to be more amenable to our business and industry as well as the needs of their constituents," said Sam Reed, spokesman for Bird, which is expected to leave by April 30.

"Despite our efforts to partner in good faith, the city has decided to impose some of the most onerous regulations in the country, and unfortunately, we cannot continue to operate under such restrictive rules," said Todd O'Boyle, spokesman for Lime. "We will continue our conversations with City Council and make a decision about the future of Lime in Raleigh after we consider our options."

Raleigh officials set a Tuesday deadline for scooter operators to submit proposals on their plans to move forward with the city, but neither Bird nor Lime submitted plans by that deadline, said city spokeswoman Julia Milstead. Five other companies – Bolt, Gotcha, Lyft, Spin and VeoRide – did submit proposals by the deadline, she said.

The scooters have zipped along in popularity around many U.S. cities as riders have ditched cars in favor of the two-wheelers, which allow riders to reserve them via a mobile app and pay based on how long they are used.

The quick and convenient way of moving from place to place has caught on with people, including Anna Nunn and her husband, Dallas Perry.

"They are just laying around and you can just walk up and grab one. It's a straight shot, you go five or six blocks, and they're fun. I take them to work every day, and back," Nunn said.

"They are eco-friendly, which I really like and, like she said, they're super convenient," Perry added. "I can walk outside my building and there's usually one within half a block."

Under that ordinance, e-scooters are allowed to be used in bicycle lanes in Raleigh. However, riders are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and traffic when entering or crossing a street. And scooters are still not allowed on sidewalks, greenways or pedestrian paths.

"Blount, Fayetteville and Wilmington are three of the busiest streets downtown, so if you don't use those correctly, then you're not only putting yourself in danger, you're putting other drivers in danger," said one resident who was happy to see the scooters go.

At recent meetings, the City Council also agreed to cap the number of scooters in the city at 1,500, raise the annual fee per scooter from $150 to $300 and require companies to carry more insurance on the scooters.

Separately, a House committee approved a scooter-related bill pending in the General Assembly on Thursday.

The bill would define electric scooters as vehicles under state law, meaning cities couldn't ban them outright. But sponsor Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, said cities would still be able to regulate their usage, such as prohibiting people from riding them on sidewalks.

Torbett added that cities still have the option of prohibiting companies that offer scooters for hire, such as Bird and Lime, on public safety grounds.

The bill has one more stop before going before the full House. If approved, it would then move to the Senate.