ORONO, Maine — Orono may become the second town in the state to adopt a partnership with electric scooter company, Bird, after this week's committee meeting.
Town leaders sat in on a presentation by the electric scooter company to discuss the proposal and what it may look like if approved.
"And at that time, [the] council seemed interested," Town of Orono Director of Economic Development Mitch Stone said. "Obviously our population is young, with the university here, so I think that will be attractive."
If accepted, Orono would partner with a one-year pilot program.
According to Bird, the company sees its highest ridership on university campuses. Although the University of Maine declined to comment on the proposal, students say having an additional form of transportation would be an added convenience.
"Sometimes we don't get the transportation, especially in summer because the buses are not available, so if you want to get to one place or another, it would be beneficial," graduate student Miskat Islam Anika said.
Currently, the town of Orono uses the university's Black Bear Express busses, the city of Bangor's Community Connector busses, and Penquis Lynx Mobility Services for public transportation.
Orono would not be the first town in the state to accept a partnership with Bird, as the city of Old Town is now going into its second year with the company.
If implemented, Bird Senior Government Partnership Manager Lauren Scribi said the company will work closely with the town to tailor the program to the community's needs.
"It's not one size fits all, what works best for Orono may not work best for Old Town," Scribi said. "For riders, they'll get in-app notifications, all the rules of the road are tailored to the community they're riding in."
The town will decide whether or not to partner at its next scheduled meeting on July 10.