After being given the boot out of the bird’s nest from Fredonia and Dunkirk, Bird Scooters in a mass exodus flocked to Jamestown in early September to build a new nest for operations. However, some city residents and governmental officials are upset with the unsafe usage by some and others who are not abiding by the rules of the road. PJ File photo

Ride-share scooters have flocked to the Pearl City, and some residents say they’re for the birds.

After unceremoniously getting the boot from both Dunkirk and Fredonia, Bird Scooters arrived in Jamestown on Sept. 1. However, while some residents use and like the ride-share service provide by these e-scooters, for others they are a nuisance, dangerous and making some residents bird-brained crazy.

During a Jamestown City Council meeting two residents spoke before council members and expressed their displeasure with the scooter’s current usage, lack of regulations, possible law infractions and asking what can be done about them.

“If I understand this correctly, if a vehicle blocks a sidewalk it is illegal, am I correct on that? If a motorcycle blocks a sidewalk or driveway that’s also illegal” asked Doug Champ, a resident of Jamestown. “Well now we have a situation of scooters blocking sidewalks. Can they — scooters — be parked in a terrace, and if not, can they be ticketed because someone else must use them to move?”

Champ wasn’t alone in his complaints to the council about ride-share vehicles.

“There’s an awful lot of bicycle, e-bike, scooter and skateboard traffic on sidewalks, the wrong side of the road, especially after dark,” said Scott Axelson, a resident of Jamestown and local business owner. “Some of these electric bikes go faster than traffic, I’ve seen some of them going down Fairmount Avenue going way faster than 35 m.p.h.”

Additionally, while some residents expressed their concern, frustration and displeasure to members of the City Council with these ride-share vehicles and E-bikes, council members have also voiced concerns. Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At Large, said at a recent council meeting he saw people riding the wrong way down Second Street several times before eventually being given a ticket by a police officer while seeing other children riding scooters with two or three people on them at one time.

The numbers, though, say the scooters are being used.

Since launching in September, Bird Scooters statistics show 548 unique riders; 3,363 rides taken; 5,063 total miles travelled, with trips averaging 1.53 miles per-ride and the average ride length of time is 14 minutes.

As popular as the ride-share scooters are, the city’s top executive said the program may change in 2024.

“As we find out how and where people are interacting with the new scooters in town during the Bird pilot program, we welcome all residents’ feedback – both positive and negative. We’re listening to all concerns and will be using the real-time data we’re collecting now to better inform us on critical decisions to be made when the program resumes in 2024,” said Mayor Eddie Sundquist. “While scooters remain in the city for the next few weeks, we’d like to remind anyone utilizing them that they should only be used on roads and parked out of the right of way when finished.”

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles: Note: It is illegal to operate an electric scooter in excess of 15 miles per hour. More information can be found on the DMV’s website at dmv.ny.gov/registration/electric-scooters-and-bicycles-and-other-unregistered-vehicles