After partnering with Bird’s e-scooter fleet, Newark has seen many members of the NJIT community racing through the streets with scooters around campus. On Oct. 6, a safety event requested by the university was held to “better educate students about the shared scooter program”, according to a Bird spokesperson.  

About 50 free helmets were given out to students during the event that took place next to CKB Green. “Bird conducts safety events with campuses all over the globe to teach the community how to ride responsibly and educate students on local rules regarding scooter operations,” the spokesperson said.  

Students were given the opportunity to download the Bird mobile application. Additionally, they received a tutorial on how to use the app to book and ride a scooter.  

As of now, riding within campus is prohibited in order to keep each member of the community safe. More details about the permissions and rental vehicle initiative can be found here: https://njitvector.com/2021/09/scooting-around-newark/  

The spokesperson also added that “in the future, Bird hopes to add additional recommended parking locations around the perimeter of the campus to better serve the student’s access to the scooters.” 

According to its website, Bird has an “expanded Community Pricing Program [that] offers a 50 percent discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens. It’s designed to be the most inclusive micro mobility discount program available anywhere.” 

Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to look online at bird.co to get more information on pricing, safety and service around NJIT.