Bird Scooters Now Automatically Slow in High-Activity Areas

Years after cities first started trying to regulate electric scooters with geofences and designated parking areas, Bird will begin automatically lowering scooter speeds in pedestrian-dense areas like school zones and hospitals.

2 minute read

August 8, 2021, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Bird Scooter

Phillip Pessar / Flickr

As Shannon Connellan reports, Bird is instituting "Community Safety Zones, geofenced areas of high-pedestrian activity clearly marked in the app's map" where "your maximum speed will be automatically reduced to 8 miles per hour." This "much-needed move" will first apply in busy areas such as schools and hospitals "in Miami, Marseille, and Madrid first, then expanding to the other 250 cities where Bird is available." The change follows "the long-studied dangers of riding e-scooters for riders and pedestrians — e-scooter related injuries are no joke, and that significantly goes for pedestrians. Bird's e-scooters' top speeds range from 16 miles (25 kilometres) per hour for the Bird Air to 18 miles (28 kilometres) per hour for the Bird One."

This is "the latest safety push from Bird, with the company recently making it harder to scoot under the influence with its 'Safe Start' feature. Launched in July, the feature makes users wanting to access scooters in late-night hours have to pass a keyword typing test to avoid scooting after drinking."

Years after Bird disrupted the shared mobility industry with "dockless" scooters that skirted city regulations, Jenn Fox of the Vision Zero Network, a worldwide road traffic safety campaign, says "Bird’s Safe Start and Community Safety Zones are an example of technology initiatives that can support safe systems, respond to community concerns and solve mobility challenges at the same time."

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 in Mashable

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

View of residential street in Los Angeles with palm trees and hazy city in distance.

Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience

Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.

April 27 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Entrance sign for San Jose-Santa Clara Regional wastewater treatment facility.

When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action

As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.

April 27 - * A Placemaking Journal

Rendering of Penrose Roundabout in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.

April 27 - WHYY