1/11/22, 8:03 p.m.

Commissioners approved a contract to continue the Bird Electric Scooter Rental Program in a unanimous vote.

The scooters will now stay in Bismarck until Dec. 31.

1/11/22, 5:21 p.m.

Bismarck City Commissioners are considering if the Bird Electric Scooter Rental Program will stick around for another year.

The electric scooters were first introduced to the city early last year. The contract was supposed to last until Dec. 31, 2021.

Scooters are available by installing an app on a smartphone and then purchasing a ride. The operating season runs from spring through fall.

According to the City of Bismarck, while there are those who enjoy using the scooters, some business owners complained the scooters were being left in their parking lots.

The city is working with the company on ways to improve.

“They’re ending up in locations where there’s not a demand to bring it back to the downtown or wherever it came from. They rebalance those scooters on a daily basis and that’s just a frequency they might have to increase if a scooter finds its way on the outer edge and doesn’t find its way back,” City of Bismarck Engineer Gabe Schell said.

If approved, use of the scooters will last until the end of this year.