By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our newsletter

ROCKFORD — Bird electric scooters started showing up in the city again this week after a winter hibernation, and this year riders will see a new model to step on.

The new Bird Three is touted for having a more efficient battery that requires less frequent charging and delivers more miles traveled on a fully charged battery, according to the company. The new models are also more durable and have a better braking system, the company says.

Aesthetically, the new models stand out from what Rockford riders saw last year because of their matte silver color with light blue logo as opposed to last year’s black scooters.

“Eventually, as they work through this and they work on their transition plan, all of the Bird scooters that we have will be transitioned to this newer model,” Mayor Tom McNamara said Friday. “They’ve put a handful of them in our community now, and as those previous ones age out they’ll transition out to the new model.”

Related: Rockford surpasses 20K rides on Bird scooters

Bird has committed to serving the city “for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Bird scooters arrived in the city in mid-May last year, and by mid-November there had been more than 20,000 rides taken covering more than 50,000 miles.

The scooters’ use is limited to a designated zone bounded by Central Avenue, Auburn Street, Morgan Street and Third Street. McNamara said the city hopes to expand those boundaries. For example, the city has connected the company with Rockford University.

“It could be a great little resource and fun for students up there to travel around to and from classes, etc.,” McNamara said.

Related: International cycling marathon series coming to ‘picturesque’ Winnebago County

The scooters are available during months when weather allows, meaning they’re typically stored when temperatures plummet or the ground is covered with snow.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter @KevinMHaas.