The University of Mississippi’s Department of Parking & Transportation soft launched the Bird E-bike Share Program on Tuesday, April 23, offering a new transportation option for students, faculty, staff and campus visitors.
The university partnered with Bird Global, Inc., a Miami-based micro mobility company, to bring the bikes to campus. This week’s soft launch of 20-25 bikes precedes a rollout of the full fleet at the start of the 2024 fall semester.
Birds is best known for distributing electric scooters to major US cities. Bird launched the e-bikes in June 2021 as a non battery-powered alternative. The bikes are ideal for three to five mile trips and offer pedal assist technology that makes riding even easier, according to the Bird website.
Director of UM Department of Parking & Transportation Samuel Patterson said the university is conducting the soft launch to test, refine and familiarize the campus community with the e-bikes before a full rollout.
“Shared e-bike options are common at many universities and municipalities, and we are providing an easy option for the campus community,” Patterson said. “The pedal assist on these e-bikes makes this stress-free and fun.”
A $1 flat rate is required to unlock Bird bikes, followed by per-minute charges based on standard, student and faculty/staff rates. Semester and monthly passes will also be available for individuals interested in frequent bike usage.
Freshman integrated marketing communications major Nehemiah Smith believes the bikes are affordable.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t have ways to get across campus, especially if they don’t have a car to drive to their 8 a.m.,” Smith said. “I think the bikes will be good for everyone on and off campus.”
Davis Windham, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said that any cost would be a deterrent.
“If they cost money, I don’t know how inclined I would be to use them unless they were linked to Flex,” Windham said. “I’d rather walk. I think they were a good investment by the university, though. I see the bikes and scooters at a lot of other colleges. I’ll definitely try them once.”
Assistant Director of UM Parking and Transportation Services Matt Davis said a team of university community members selected Bird to fulfill the project.
Davis said the university pays an annual subsidy to fund the e-bike share program, and that Bird receives all proceeds collected from users.
“The intention of this program is to assist UM community members with short trips around campus and assist many with their first and last mile trips on campus either after they park or directly from their on-campus residence,” Davis said.
Accessibility was at the forefront of the university’s decision to introduce the Bird E-bike Share Program, Davis said.
“The university is always trying to look for various mobility and transportation options to help UM community members navigate the campus in a more efficient and cost-effective way,” Davis said.
For more information on the BIRD E-Bike Share Program, visit the UM Department of Parking & Transportation website.
