Given that the average Atlantan loses 129 hours of their time annually to traffic congestion, and the city has a goal of reducing transportation emissions, Atlanta needed something that would drive a mode shift.
From commuters to college students, to tourists, every e-scooter rider is helping realize this vision with each ride, and delivering a range of benefits along the way. They are closing the last-mile gap, supplying local entrepreneurs with new income opportunities, and supporting local businesses now accessible by shared e-scooters.
Hundreds of thousands of Atlanta residents and visitors have hopped on a Bird to experience the city from the lite individual transportation (“LIT”) lane. The rapid adoption of shared e-scooters is a testament to the demand for last-mile transportation options in and around important cities like Atlanta. In July 2019 alone, 100,000+ riders collectively completed more than 321,000 trips.
Integration into Transportation Network
Bird is bridging the last mile gap to and from MARTA bus and rail services, helping people complete longer trips without a car. According to a survey of Bird riders in the Atlanta area, 31% of riders used Bird to connect to another mode of transportation on their last trip. This continued adoption could bring tens of thousands of additional riders within convenient reach of transit in and around Atlanta.
Helping Locals Save
Bird riders are also saving money as they move about their neighborhoods. We estimate that Bird helped Atlanta riders collectively save more than $1.4M in July 2019, when compared to the cost of taking a taxi or Uber/Lyft for similar trips. By giving people a more affordable way to move without a car, Bird is helping shift trips away from ride-hailing services, easing their impact on growing urban congestion.
Decreasing Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Avoiding More CO2
With a significant shift to more sustainable transportation modes, such as Bird, the air around Atlanta is getting cleaner daily. In a survey conducted by Bird, more than one in four Atlanta riders reported they would have made their last trip by car, if not for the availability of Bird. By presenting a cleaner option, in the month of July alone, Bird helped avoid more than 86,000 car trips, which will help Atlanta reach its goal of reducing transportation emissions by 40% by 2030.
27% of riders report their last trip as replacing a car trip (personal or ride-hail)
344,376 vehicle miles traveled
156.2 metric tons of CO2 avoided
Bird is bringing shared transportation to new areas around Atlanta. By making scooters widely available, Bird is enabling more people to travel car-free. And as more people take to the streets via shared e-scooters, Bird is helping the community imagine how it might redesign its streets to allow more people to travel by scooter, bike, and on foot.
Check out a few of Atlanta’s favorite spots to Bird!
- Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail
- Krog St NE
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
- Serpa’s
- Irwin Street Market
- Hawkers Asian Street Fare
- Estrella
- Two Urban Licks