Abilene Christian University and Bird, a leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, are once again teaming up to bring shared e-scooters to the campus. The eco-friendly transportation option can be activated through a free mobile phone application and used to replace gas-powered car trips around Abilene. Bird will provide quarterly donations to ACU based on usage of the scooters.
“We are excited to welcome Bird to ACU and look forward to offering community members an eco-friendly and fun way to get around,” said Kevin Campbell, senior vice president for operations. “Students, faculty, staff and visitors will now have a new way to travel on campus and to various locations in the community.”
Bird Scooters originally arrived on the Abilene Christian campus in the fall of 2018 and left Abilene in the spring of 2019. ACU was the second campus in the U.S. to sign with Bird in 2018, and now the scooters have a presence on nearly 100 college campuses.
Features and benefits available to Bird riders at ACU include:
- Community Pricing Program: Pell Grant recipients, low-income riders, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans and senior citizens receive a 50% discount. Those who qualify can sign up by downloading the Bird app, creating an account and emailing proof of eligibility to access@bird.co.
- Free Rides for Healthcare Workers and Emergency Personnel: Those who qualify can sign up by emailing a copy of their medical identification card, name and phone number to together@bird.co. Eligible riders receive two free 30-minute rides per day.
- Community Mode: Anyone with a Bird account can report or provide feedback on vehicle-related issues, such as poorly parked or damaged vehicles, in their area by tapping the yield sign on the bottom left of the in-app Bird map. When a report is submitted, someone is assigned to correct the issue.
Bird is an electric vehicle company dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally friendly transportation solutions such as e-scooters and e-bikes to communities across the world. Founded in 2017 by transportation pioneer Travis VanderZanden, Bird is rapidly expanding. Today, it provides fleets of shared micro electric vehicles to riders in more than 350 cities globally and makes its products available for purchase at bird.co and via leading retailers and distribution partners. Bird partners closely with the cities in which it operates to provide a reliable and affordable transportation option for people who live and work there.
— Wendy Kilmer
May 17, 2022