e-Scooter/e-Bike Guidelines

Since e-scooter/e-bike rental services started operating in Bloomington in September 2018, we’ve had another way to get around town and explore our parks and trails. At the same time, this new mode of transportation is posing challenges to safety, accessibility, and aesthetics in our city.

City officials developed an ordinance to regulate the use of e-scooters/e-bikes in Bloomington. We have also developed the following guidelines from our municipal code in order to promote safety, civility, accessibility, and order on our streets, sidewalks, and trails while enjoying this new mobility option.

• e-scooters/e-bikes may be used in the street. Riders using e-scooters/e-bikes in the street must obey the rules of the road, including stopping at stop signs and traffic lights, signaling turns, and following the direction of traffic.
   

• e-scooters/e-bikes may be used on multiuse trails, multiuse paths, and on uncrowded sidewalks outside the city center. Riders using scooters on trails, paths, and sidewalks must observe the rules governing bicycles on these same routes, such as:

  • Yield right-of-way to pedestrians,

  • Pass pedestrians at a distance of at least three feet,

  • Alert other vehicles and pedestrians in front of you with an audible signal before overtaking and passing them,

  • Do not suddenly move into the path of an oncoming pedestrian or vehicle, and

  • Give particular consideration to avoid startling visually impaired pedestrians.

• Do not ride e-scooters/e-bikes on sidewalks or in crosswalks marked “Dismount Zone” in the center of Bloomington, on the following streets:

  • Fourth Street from Indiana Avenue to the B-Line Trail

  • Kirkwood Avenue from Indiana Avenue to the B-Line Trail

  • Sixth Street from Walnut Street to the B-Line Trail

  • Indiana Avenue from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • Dunn Street from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • Grant Street from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • Lincoln Street from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • Washington Street from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • Walnut Street from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • College Avenue from Fourth Street to Seventh Street

  • Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Fountain Circle

• Ride with courtesy, respect, and caution. Helmet use is strongly recommended.
   

• Follow the rules you accept with the rental agreement. For example, riders must be 18 years or older, the scooter may be used by the renter alone, and texting or other distracting behaviors are prohibited while riding.
   

• Park the e-scooter/e-bike in a bike rack, corral or in another lawful spot within public property that does not block the right-of-way, limit access for individuals with disabilities, risk damaging private or public property, or jeopardize public safety.

Riders who do not observe these guidelines may be subject to penalties in the form of fines consistent with state law and the Bloomington Municipal Code.  If we all make the effort to use scooters responsibly, these vehicles can enhance our mobility options and add to our fun in Bloomington for years to come.   

Do you know that any community members can report e-scooters/e-bikes that need to be removed from neighborhoods?  

Here’s how to report an issue with the scooters available in the city. 

BIRD 

• Community Mode: Community Mode is accessible by clicking the yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the bottom left corner of the Bird mobile app. Click this button, and you’ll find three separate options: report a “Badly Parked Bird’’, “Damaged Bird,” and “Contact Bird”. This is the most efficient way to report the topics mentioned above to the Bird Team, and you do not have to be a rider to use this feature (you only have to have the app downloaded).
• hello@bird.co: Our general support email address. Best for account/payment issues.
• Bloomington311@bird.co: Our Bloomington-specific email address. Like Community Mode, messages to this email address will go directly to our local operations team. It is best for scooters that need to be moved promptly.
• 1 (866) 205-2442: Our 24/7 support line if community members want to reach out over the phone and best for account/payment issues.