Santa Monica April 2021 Table of Contents 1. Intent 04
2. Operator Information 06
3. Equipment 25
4. Maintenance 70
5. System Balancing & Redistribution 90
6. Operations Sustainability 102
7. Rider Behavior & Roadway Safety Compliance 115
8. Community Engagement, Outreach & Safety/Riding Education 145
9. Affordability 172
10. Customer Service 184
11. Data 189
12. Forms 199
Appendix 219
Appendix 1: Bird Vehicle Testing Protocol 219
Appendix 2: Current Operations 220
Appendix 3: Ceased Operations due to Bird Withdrawing from Market 225
Appendix 4: Ceased Operations at the Request of the Local Government 228
Appendix 5: Resilience and Business Continuity Plan 233
Appendix 6: Letters of Support 256
Appendix 7: Bird Rental Agreement, Waiver of Liability and Release 259
Appendix 8: Bird’s Bank Guarantee 273
Appendix 9: PCI 274
Appendix 10: Operational Code of Conduct 284
Appendix 11: Accessibility Adjustment Interface 285
Appendix 12: Vehicle Certifcations 286
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 2 Dear Santa Monica Shared Mobility Selection Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to present our vision for the next chapter in Santa Monica’s ongoing mission to deliver equitable, zero-emission mobility for all.
Through the efforts of Mayor Sue Himmelrich, the City Council and the Community Development Department, Santa Monica has established itself as a world leader in shared urban transportation. The City’s vision for sustainable, data-driven mobility programs and infrastructure improvements has already resulted in the creation of new mobility modes, millions of fewer car rides and safer city streets—and this is only the beginning.
For more than three years, the team at Bird has been immensely proud to work in partnership with the City of Santa Monica. Together we have pioneered the global shared e-scooter industry and developed the technologies and solutions that are carrying the industry forward. These include geofencing technologies, vehicle and infrastructure enhancements, and intelligent data sharing principles that helped inform the City’s update to the 2011 Bike Action Plan last October.
The collaborative relationship between Bird and Santa Monica is built on trust and close community ties that are deeply important to all of us. It’s why we chose to establish our global headquarters here and why hundreds of our locally based team members regularly engage in community activities from beach cleanup outings to advocating for the protection of valuable community programs. Santa Monica is our home, and we have committed to staying here to build upon this strong partnership and help improve city life for everyone. Bird’s dedication to providing the City and its residents with the world’s safest, most accessible micromobility service has never been stronger.
As the mobility needs of Santa Monica evolve throughout the upcoming second pilot, know that the City will continue to fnd in Bird a trusted partner who can be relied upon to innovate and adapt our operations along with you. Thank you for the past three-plus years of developing collaborative mobility solutions in Santa Monica, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve our hometown and move the micromobility industry forward together for years to come.
Sincerely,
Travis VanderZanden Santa Monica Resident, Bird Founder and CEO
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 3 1. INTENT: Please describe the overall vision for the service.
Santa Monica’s frst micromobility pilot revolutionized urban transportation. It began with 12 Bird e-scooters parked in front of a shared Downtown workspace in September 2017. In the months and years that followed, our team worked closely with City leaders and staff, turning their guidance, feedback and policies into innovative solutions like geofencing, drivers license scanning technology, Helmet Selfe and Community Mode that have moved the entire industry forward. Nearly four years later, Bird’s local operations have provided rides to individuals,
helping the City to avoid nearly metric tons of CO2 emissions. Santa Monica is frmly established as a global leader in fostering creative mobility policies and programs, and we aim to help the City build on these successes to deliver an even more equitable and sustainable transportation solution that meets the needs of every type of rider. For Santa Monica’s second pilot program, Bird is doubling down on our vision of healthy, vibrant neighborhoods connected by safe and sustainable integrated mobility solutions. Our most advanced e-scooter models and a diverse portfolio of multimodal vehicles that include e-bikes and accessible devices like Bird Whill and Bird Latch will expand micromobility access to every rider who needs it. Similarly, our expanded discount programs like Community Mode, Global Ride Pass and many more will keep micromobility use affordable to riders in every socioeconomic bracket. In Bird, the City will continue to fnd a partner who prioritizes the needs of all who live, work and visit Santa Monica. Working in collaboration with the City, local community leaders and advocates, we will create a more accessible transportation network that helps the City reach the goals in the Climate Action and Adoption Plan, achieving an 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. This overarching vision will be supported by the following: Shared Values. Bird was born in Santa Monica, and the values that defne our work have been shaped by years of experience in the community. Through partnerships with groups from Community Corp of Santa Monica to Familias Latinas Unidas and advocates for people with disabilities, we foster ridership that is inclusive of Santa Monica’s diverse residents. Accessible Multimodal Vehicles. Bird’s most advanced and accessible vehicles and will be available for the City’s second pilot program. From the Bird Two and Bird Three, our newest shared e-scooter models with safety features that include the industry’s only autonomous emergency braking system, to a suite of accessible vehicles such as the Bird Whill and Bird Latch and our brand-new Bird Bike, we’re excited to bring Santa Monica riders the very best mobility options available. Exceeding Safety Standards. As a transportation company, it is not enough to meet safety standards; they must be exceeded. In an emerging industry, Bird is focused on guaranteeing the safety and security of every individual we encounter. Our fnancial investment in innovation has created the safest combination of hardware and software in the industry, untarnished by vehicle recalls, hacks or data breaches. Secure Data Sharing. We fght to protect cities’ access to shared data. In 2019-20, Bird and Santa Monica led a joint effort to defeat a bill that would have limited data sharing with cities in California. In 2019, we were a founding member of the Open Mobility Foundation, an open-source software foundation that creates a governance structure around open-source mobility tools, beginning with a focus on Mobility Data Specifcation (MDS). In 2021, Bird and Santa Monica are again working together to defeat another attempt to curb sharing data with cities.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 4 Innovation and Equity. Bird will work with the City to develop the most advanced micromobility service that’s available to all riders in Santa Monica. Through innovative solutions such as Beginner Mode, and ), we will help set a new standard for intelligent ridership and operations, while equity programs such as Community Pricing and Global Ride Pass will ensure that the cost of e-scooter trips affordable for low-income and frequent riders. Integrated Transportation Solutions. Bird shares the City’s vision of holistic transportation solutions. By partnering with Transit, a global third-party Mobility as a Service (MaaS) app, Santa Monica riders will be able to easily access Bird alongside public transit like Big Blue Bus and Metro. We will also continue existing collaborations with transit providers like LA Metro, incentivizing designated micromobility parking at every Expo Metro station in Santa Monica including Downtown, 17th Street and Bergamot. Upholding Santa Monica’s “Vision Zero” Approach. Santa Monica’s protected bike lane network and “Take the Friendly Road” education program are setting an example for cities across the country. Bird will support these efforts through safety initiatives such as our CDC-compliant in-person safety events, local Ride Better safety campaign and our industry-frst driver education video series. Together in partnership with the City we will not only improve rider behavior but also end trafc fatalities on Santa Monica streets. Building a More Vibrant Santa Monica. We measure the success of our service by the strength of our local partnerships. Beyond maintaining open communication with the City, we will focus on assisting with Santa Monica’s economic recovery by working with small-business owners to increase foot trafc via shared promotions and featured app placement. Additionally, we will continue our work with community leaders, workforce development organizations and Santa Monica Community College to provide meaningful employment opportunities to the city that we call home. As the longest serving operator in the City of Santa Monica, we have the operational experience, community partnerships and proven commitment to continue delivering a city-wide transportation service that meets the needs of the entire Santa Monica community.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 5 2. OPERATOR INFORMATION:
a. Project team, including biographies and qualifcations of lead team members. Include an organization chart that includes the entire company as well as the local team.
Project Team
Bird’s cross-functional project team for the City of Santa Monica is composed of members from all areas of our organization: Government Partnerships; Operations; Research and Development; Engineering; Data Scientists; Corporate Social Responsibility; Product, Communications and Public Relations; Finance, and Legal functions all play a part to ensure Santa Monica maintains a successful Shared Mobility Program. The team is co-managed by Tim Harter, Director of Government Partnerships, and Kate Geremia, General Manager of Operations for Santa Monica and Los Angeles. Combined, they have over a decade of experience in the transportation and technology industries, as well as unmatched, on-the-ground experience implementing and managing the world’s frst shared e-scooter feet in our hometown, Santa Monica. Our team meets with City of Santa Monica staff every two weeks to optimize the program. Over nearly four years, Bird and the City of Santa Monica have developed a collaborative working relationship on issues ranging from data sharing to infrastructure investments. Tim and Kate have a strong working relationship and have successfully co-led multiple project teams over the past 18 months, including our programs in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Culver City, Long Beach, and most recently West Hollywood. Working together, they ensure their respective staffs remain aligned with all project goals and objectives, including, but not limited to: ● Prioritizing the reliability, affordability, safety and sustainability of our service. ● Offering a variety of shared mobility options to residents, employees and visitors to Santa Monica—including the introduction of our new e-bikes. ● Increasing user awareness of safe and legal behaviors when operating our devices, which includes rider and non-rider education efforts underway with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism and local nonprofts. ● Ensuring an effective and efcient service through the use of innovative management tools and technology, such as the Fleet Management program (see page 83) that we currently use. Our project team is supported by larger specialized teams currently working from home right here in Santa Monica, including product development, weather monitoring, customer service, data, vehicle, legal, engineering and communications. With diverse backgrounds and a wide range of skill sets and local expertise, we are confdent in our ability to provide the services requested in this RFP.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 6 Biographies and Qualifcations of Lead Team Members
Tim Harter - Director of Government Partnerships, U.S. West Tim is the Director of Government Partnerships at Bird, where he manages the city relationships in the U.S. Western region, primarily focused on the day-to-day management of the Santa Monica market. Tim is the assigned Bird liaison for Santa Monica and is available to promptly respond to City staf during the hours 7am-10pm daily. Tim has lived in Santa Monica for more than eight years and was an early adopter of Bird. Prior to joining the team in his current role, he signed up to become a charger—collecting Birds in Santa Monica—to supplement his income. Tim worked for Assemblymember Richard Bloom in the 50th Assembly District handling mobility in the Greater Los Angeles area. During his time in the assembly ofce, Tim helped manage the Pacifc Coast Highway Task Force and increase the safety procedures and precautions on Highway 1 for all who interact with the roadway. Tim worked with elected ofcials in multiple local jurisdictions, including Santa Monica, on issues ranging from homelessness to mobility, and he was responsible for assisting local governments on creating an interoperable bike share network amongst all communities in AD50. Just before Tim left the ofce, the bikeshare networks of UCLA, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood formed one large interoperable system. Tim is committed to replicating a similar interoperable system here at Bird across the Greater LA region. Tim lives without a car and proudly uses a combination of Birds, Big Blue Bus and his personal bike to commute around town.
Kate Geremia - General Manager Kate is the General Manager for Bird in Los Angeles and is responsible for the operational and regulatory success of the market.She will also be the designated Compliance Liaison with the City of Santa Monica. Kate is passionate about partnering with cities to redefne transportation. Her job is to ensure the operations she oversees are directly contributing to the goals and objectives of the City’s shared mobility pilot program. She lives and breathes ridership and compliance data to identify ways Bird can evolve its service offerings to help ensure success for the City. Kate is also responsible for the safety and maintenance of the feet and for ensuring the team adheres to the City’s rules and regulations. While Kate is based in Santa Monica, her scope spans across Los Angeles County so she also manages the cross-jurisdictional operations that arise as a result of the adjacent shared mobility programs. Prior to Bird, Kate worked at Uber, where she built out global customer support and sales teams before transitioning to JUMP, where she oversaw bikes and scooters operations as the GM for Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Kate received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, her Masters in Design Innovation from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern, and her Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Kate has called Santa Monica (Wilshire Montana) home for the last
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 7 year and enjoys using Bird instead of a car to explore all the takeaway and outdoor dining options at local Santa Monica restaurants (Uovo, Tacos Por Favor, and Bay Cities Deli are her current favorites).
Morgan Roth - Government Partnerships Manager Morgan is the Government Partnerships Manager for Bird in Southern California and is responsible for external relationships with cities and local stakeholder organizations, philanthropy in the community, and corporate stewardship. He also contributes to policy decisions and operations within the Los Angeles area, including Santa Monica. In Santa Monica, Morgan has engaged with every neighborhood organization and business improvement district, presented to City Commissions, and forged partnerships with a number of city and nonproft organizations and events in Santa Monica. Morgan will continue to lead Bird’s community engagement and local partnerships eforts throughout Santa Monica. Prior to Bird, Morgan served in Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán’s District Ofce, where he assisted on environmental and port-related matters. Morgan is a life-long resident of Los Angeles and is a graduate from University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
Sean Auyash - Government Partnerships Manager Sean is a Government Partnerships Manager based in Santa Monica. He works to provide Santa Monica data to inform city policy decisions and identify regional trends that empower our local teams to provide high-quality services. For example, in Charlotte, after close collaboration with Bird, the City adapted its scooter program to better serve third-shift workers by extending the number of hours local residents could legally ride a scooter. As a Santa Monica resident in the Pico neighborhood, Sean is excited to support micromobility in his adopted home. His career has focused on the intersection of the private and public sectors. Sean formerly worked in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie LLP in Washington, D.C., where he focused on campaign compliance with federal election law. Prior to that, as a consultant with the Empirical Studies of Confict Project at Princeton University, he evaluated the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Department of Defense (DOD) stabilization efforts in Afghanistan. These experiences helped Sean understand the positive impact strong private-public partnerships can have on local communities in recovery. Sean holds an MA (Hons) in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 8 Will Habeeb - Senior Service Center Associate Will is the Senior Service Center Associate for Bird in Los Angeles and is responsible for ensuring the vehicles in LA stay safe and reliable. Will stays laser focused on safety within the service center and obsesses over the safe and proper maintenance of the vehicles in market. He works closely with vehicle engineers and hosts advanced trainings for Fleet Managers to ensure all partners are trained in the latest processes or updates. Will has also worked to develop an in feld audit process that is used across all markets in the U.S. to verify vehicles are up to the safety and reliability standards. Will graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. In September 2018, after seeing several damaged Birds on his way from his apartment to 18th Street Coffee House, Will decided to join Bird to design repair processes to ensure that a rider could always fnd a reliable Bird. Since then, he has leveraged his background in mechanical engineering to work closely with the vehicle engineering team to develop optimal processes and tools to improve the repair fow and quality.
Guransh Singh - Senior Operations Associate Guransh has worked at Bird for over two years in various Operations capacities, from Customer Support to Vehicle Retention to Utilization and is now a Senior Associate on the Los Angeles Area Operations team. He will use all of the knowledge and skills gained through those roles, such as ensuring rebalance efforts are effective/efcient and identifying opportunities for new deployment zones, to continue to improve Bird’s Santa Monica program. He manages all Utilization initiatives in Southern California, implementing strategies to improve Customer Experience while optimizing for city regulations. He translates his own experience across Operations and from managing Los Angeles to partner with global teams to improve city performance. Guransh holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Los Angeles and joined Bird after witnessing, frst-hand, the impact of micromobility on increasing access to public transportation in Santa Monica.
Alessandra Vanore - Engagement Manager Alessandra joined Bird in February 2021 and is responsible for coaching Fleet Managers. On a daily basis, she ensures that our Fleet Managers are in compliance with the City of Santa Monica. Alessandra does so by consistently communicating urgent issues or reports from the City. If a Fleet Manager continues to operate
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 9 out of compliance, she will take further action and terminate the individual in violation of the regulations. Alessandra experienced the initial launch of Birds when she moved to Santa Monica three years ago, was intrigued, and became an avid user of micromobility before joining the team. Prior to Bird, she worked as a District Manager for ADP, an industry-leading online payroll and HR solution provider, helping over 50 local Santa Monica business owners grow their employee count. In Alessandra’s role as an Engagement Manager, she will be making constant eforts to guide and assist our Fleet Managers with the expansion of their small businesses in Santa Monica, ideally employing other members of the community. Alessandra believes that micromobility is the way of the future in Santa Monica and cities all around the world.
Evan Fischl - Senior Operations Associate Evan joined Bird in November 2019 and oversees local operations in the City of Santa Monica. Evan is the conduit between our city partners and our product team. In this role he helps identify and launch technologies and programs that can help cities more rapidly achieve their shared mobility goals. He recently assisted in the rollout of “incentivized parking” solutions in Santa Monica as well as “mandatory parking” locations in Santa Monica, Los Angeles and San Francisco to improve rider behavior and ensure compliant operations. In 2019, the City began installing designated parking corrals and Bird began incentivizing good parking behavior. We now have 130 incentivized parking locations throughout Santa Monica. Evan became interested in micromobility after being immersed in Amsterdam’s bike culture and is enthused by the idea of changing the discourse from cars to mobility in urban areas. Prior to Bird, he worked in the Investment Management industry in Chicago as an Analyst in the Leadership Development Program at MB Financial Bank and as a Portfolio Analyst at MainStreet Advisors. Evan received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University and a Master of Science in Corporate Finance from the University of Amsterdam.
Ben Handzo - Group Product Manager Ben is a Group Product Manager at Bird. He joined Bird over two years ago and is responsible for compliance and data products. In this role he has overseen all of Bird’s MDS development including the frst ever provider implementations of both MDS Agency (for LADOT) and MDS provider (for the City of Santa Monica). Before Bird, Ben was the vice president of Product at NationBuilder, a product that helped campaigns and nonprofts get the most out of their data. Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, and a Master of Fine Arts from the school of liberal arts. Ben lives in central Los Angeles and has been an avid bike commuter for 10 years.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 10 Jasmine Wallsmith - Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications Jasmine manages marketing and communications for Santa Monica. She has been with Bird and Scoot (acquired by Bird) for over four years and has run many aspects of the business including safe riding and educational events, community relations, customer service, rider communications, local marketing and media relations. Jasmine’s micromobility experience spans not only kick scooters, but electric mopeds, electric bikes and electric mini cars and she has extensive knowledge on how to support, market and educate riders on multimodal feets. Prior to Bird, Jasmine managed marketing and events for an eco-hotel in Shanghai, China. She holds a BA in Legal Studies from UCSC and a certifcation in Corporate Social Responsibility from UCB.
Alex Friendly - Senior Director, Operations Alex has been with Bird since 2018 and currently oversees Bird's operations in North America. Alex brings with him a combined eight-plus years in the transportation arena, having spent six years in the public sector, working in the Obama White House and at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Prior to joining Bird, Alex served at two diferent startups in strategy and operations roles. Alex received his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and his bachelor’s from the University of Vermont.
Renaud Fages - Vice President, Operations Renaud joined Bird in January 2020 as vice president of Global Strategy and Business Operations, before becoming Head of Global Operations in January 2021. He is based in Santa Monica and prior to joining Bird, Renaud spent 15 years in consulting where he was a Partner and Managing Director. He worked extensively in Operations, Digital, Transformation with a variety of blue chip clients. Renaud received a Master’s degree in Engineering in 2004 from Ecole Centrale (France).
Fleet Managers Anelice and Edward Castillo - Jaysc Corporation Casey Maclean - Sick Ride LLC
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 11 Kevin Hernandez - Viper Fleet Inc Paul Tierney - Paul of All Trades LLC Juan Ramirez - Don Juan Scooter, LLC John Harber - Harber Transport, LLC Carlos Villareal - Easy Micromobility LLC Alfredo Calderon - 20mph LLC
Company-Wide Organizational Chart
Local Organizational Chart
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 12 b. Number, type, location and duration of other shared mobility systems operated. Include all current operations, and history of compliance with permitting requirements and, state and local law, and information regarding any markets in which you began and later ceased operations.
Current Operations
Bird currently provides shared mobility solutions in 130+ markets worldwide, across 36 countries with a global feet of over vehicles. Bird’s nearly shared mobility trips helped avoid ~
metric tons of CO2 emissions, and, on average, ~33% replaced car trips and/or served as last- or frst-mile connections to public transportation. We also focus on equitable deployment throughout the city and have deployments at affordable housing locations to ensure vehicles are always available when needed. Details on the type, location and duration of our current shared mobility systems, including history of compliance with permitting requirements and state and local law, is provided in Appendix 1.
Ceased Operations Due to Bird Withdrawing from Market
Bird withdrew from cities over the past three years due to a variety of factors including excessive or organized theft and vandalism as well as market and regulatory considerations such as weather constraints limiting sustainable operations or regulatory constraints not aligning with demand. See Appendix 3 for the list of cities and details.
Ceased Operations at the Request of the Local Government
As the inventor of scooter share, Bird operated before cities had specifc regulations or permits that allowed or did not allow our business. Some cities requested Bird pause operations while an ordinance or permit could be drafted and implemented (often with Bird’s input) and we obliged. Other cities passed legislation expressly prohibiting scooter share which resulted in Bird exiting the market. Bird believes its operation in each city where it deployed scooters was always legal but since early 2019 has not entered a market without explicit permission from city stakeholders. Please see Appendix 4 for the list of cities and details.
c. Are you currently permitted and operating in the City of Los Angeles or other neighboring jurisdictions in Los Angeles County?
Yes. As the shared e-scooter pioneer, operating in more than 130 cities globally, Bird has unparalleled experience with device location and tracking across an array of cities, geographies and topographies. We serve across jurisdictional boundaries in many communities providing differentiated data sharing, including device location and tracking to each partner, in Washington, D.C., Arlington, VA, Alexandria, VA, and Montgomery County, MD; Sacramento and West Sacramento, CA; and here locally between Santa Monica, the City of Los Angeles, Culver City, West Hollywood and Long Beach (see below). Bird is the largest permitted micromobility operator in the City of Los Angeles and neighboring jurisdictions. Compliant interoperability between jurisdictions is a top priority for Bird in the Los Angeles Metro area as we have thousands of riders traveling between the City of Santa Monica and the surrounding City of Los
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 13 Angeles. For nearly four years, Bird has been able to manage, comply and share data pertaining to the complexity that comes with managing scooter feets, at scale, across jurisdictions. We are the only operator to do this across every municipality that has a scooter program in Los Angeles County. More specifcally, LADOT has special operating zone regulations required to operate in the Venice neighborhood, which Bird follows. The Santa Monica/Venice border is one of complexity that Bird has solved to ensure interoperability with the City of Los Angeles and City of Santa Monica. On average, % of Bird rides beginning in Santa Monica end in Los Angeles while % of rides ending in Santa Monica started in Los Angeles. Our sophisticated operations management system, Bird AI, enables us to track vehicles across the two service areas, seamlessly updating rider permissions to comply with local rules and triggering rebalancing tasks to redistribute each feet accordingly to maintain compliance in both cities and providing each city relevant trip level data.
Bird is currently permitted and operating in the following jurisdictions within Los Angeles County:
Jurisdiction Duration Fleet Size
Santa Monica September 2017 – Present 750
City of Los Angeles September 2017 – Present 6,500
Long Beach August 2018 – Present 500
Culver City July 2018 – March 2020 (*In discussions to restart program) 200
West Hollywood Won permit – Launch expected April 2021 150
d. Length of corporate operation, and related or ancillary business operations beyond shared mobility systems.
Length of Corporate Operation
Bird’s length of corporate operation is four years. Travis VanderZanden founded Bird Rides, Inc. in April 2017 in Santa Monica. In September of that year, we launched the world’s frst feet of dockless, electric scooters on the corner of Broadway and 5th Street in Downtown Santa Monica. For nearly four years, we have operated successful, safe and sustainable shared micromobility programs in 130+ cities and universities across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America—providing nearly rides.
Related or Ancillary Business Operations
Bird was founded to make our streets safer for all road users and to help improve air quality in communities everywhere. We are proud to provide a world-class shared mobility service but are also committed to meeting the sustainable transportation needs of those who live in communities that do not have shared
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 14 mobility programs or who simply want to own a personal e-vehicle. As a result, Bird now offers its award-winning Bird One and its new Bird Air e-scooters direct to consumers via Bird.co and in partnership with leading retailers throughout the world, including Target and Best Buy. By applying what we’ve learned from nearly rides to design and engineer e-vehicles for ownership, we are extending the reach and accessibility of micromobility to a much broader audience while accelerating modeshift and meeting the growing demand for sustainable, socially distant transportation alternatives.
e. Names and addresses of any person or entity that has
(i) more than 10 percent equity, participation, or revenue interest in the application or Name: Travis VanderZanden Address: c/o Bird Rides, Inc., 406 Broadway #369, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(ii) is a trustee, director, partner, or ofcer of that entity or of another entity that owns or controls the applicant.
(iii) Identify the names and addresses of any parent or subsidiary of the application, and describe the nature of any such parent or subsidiary business entity. Identify any subcontractors or other partner organizations. Bird Rides, Inc. is a privately held company, backed by venture funds and other investors. Our subsidiary companies, include: Name: Scoot Rides, Inc. Address: 1255 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94103 Description: In June 2019, Bird acquired Scoot, the world’s frst company to offer shared, smartphone-activated, light, electric vehicles. Scoot specializes in electric mopeds and e-scooters and currently operates a shared micromobility program in San Francisco. Name: Circ Address: Zimmerstr. 78, 10117 Berlin Description: In January 2020, Bird acquired Circ, a leading shared e-scooter company in Europe and the Middle East. With operations spanning several countries, Circ continues to bring world-class city-centric solutions and customer service to millions of riders.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 15
In addition to having which demonstrates signifcant faith from the investing community and showcases a world-class balance sheet, we are prepared to provide
Our major investors include, but are not limited to:
Please see Appendix 8 for Bird’s bank guarantee.
Additionally, Bird is in the , Bird’s Chief Financial Ofcer, Yibo Ling, and Controller, Greg Wright, would welcome the opportunity to video conference with the City.
With a community-frst culture and obsession with safety, we never compromise on giving back to or supporting the communities in which we operate nor do we ever put proft and operations above safety. Throughout our nearly four years in Santa Monica, we have strived to be a collaborative and productive partner with the City— transitioning our feet to deliver our most sophisticated vehicle models, Bird Two, Bird Three, Bird.s, accessible vehicles and Bird Bike, which represent an continuing to operate during good times and tough times; lifting up and promoting small business within our app (see page 47); and making investments in equity programs and underserved communities. For example, Bird worked closely with Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) to ensure its 4,000+ residents have access to Bird at a discounted rate with our Community Pricing program. We shared sign-up materials via resident newsletters, local papers and informational brochures.
g. Location of ofces and operations warehouse centers.
Ofce Location As of April 2021, due to health and safety concerns associated with the global pandemic, Bird HQ employees live and work from home in the Los Angeles Metro area, of which live right here in the City of Santa Monica. When it is safe to do so (hopefully in the fall), we will return to an HQ ofce in the City of Santa Monica, the location of which is being determined.
Operations Centralized Service Center Bird’s Santa Monica operations are based out of our local service center located at 5318 McConnell Ave in Playa Vista, CA.
Santa Monica Fleet Manager Service Locations 1001 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401 2921 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 17 1531 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Research and Design Facility
Bird’s global Research, Design and Safety Lab is located in Culver City, CA.
h. Number of local employees, including numbers of full time, part time, and contracted staff
Our operations in Santa Monica are supported by the following number of full-time, part-time and contracted staff. ● Full-time employees: ● Part-time employees: ● Contracted staff employees: ● Third-party logistics providers (Fleet Managers, page 83): See below for role descriptions and a breakdown of employees per team.
Santa Monica Operations Team/Playa Vista Service Center
Team/Role(s) Responsibilities Employment Type Staff Quantities
Operations Oversee feld and service location teams. Full-time, in-house Leadership Liaise with local stakeholders and (General Manager, broader community. 24-hour contact for Operations City staf for all questions and concerns Associates) related to deployment, charging, rebalancing and feet operations in the city. Service Center Maintain, clean and charge Birds at Full-time hired Team Playa Vista service center. Provide through local stafng support (maintenance, IT, backend company and also support) to Fleet Managers during in-house service center drop-in hours.
Bird Ambassadors Bird Ambassadors patrol the service Full-time, in-house area and remediate issues, such as improper parking and device overcentration.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 18 Engagement Manages all Fleet Managers. 24-hour Full-time, in-house Manager point of contact for Fleet Managers. Ensures Fleet Manager compliance with local rules and regulations. Sets KPIs and SLAs and schedules regular check-ins with Fleet Managers to track progress.
Fleet Managers Provide logistics services for a feet of Third-party logistic Birds, including deploying, rebalancing providers and collecting e-scooters for charging, maintenance or repairs.
Bird’s Santa Monica Headquarters
Team/Role(s) Responsibilities Employment Type Staff Quantities
Government Partner with the City to support all local Full-time, in-house Partnerships and policy, initiatives and regulations. Local Engagement
Communications Work with local groups to support a Full-time, in-house and Marketing more vibrant Santa Monica, engage with and educate riders and non-riders.
Corporate Ensure fnancial tracking and Full-time, in-house Development and reasonableness; Grow proftably and Finance attract investment.
Engineering, Develop secure and sustainable Full-time, in-house Product and Data cutting-edge vehicles and technology. Science
People and Places Ensures long-term, meaningful Full-time, in-house employment opportunities, while maintaining and supporting the workplace.
Legal Stay abreast of upcoming legal Full-time, in-house compliance globally.
Global Revenue Drive strategy and implementation for Full-time, in-house entering new markets.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 19
coordinate defense counsel based upon the indemnifcation language in the agreement. Thereafter, Bird, Bird-funded outside counsel, and the City will work on a strategy to defend the claim or lawsuit and reach a mutually desirable outcome. This process has been ongoing since 2018 and Bird and the City have obtained several litigation motion wins. Bird’s insurance adds the City as an additional insured to satisfy its indemnifcation obligations. Along with Bird’s robust fundraising, Bird has the solvency to satisfy its indemnifcation obligations beyond its already substantial insurance.
j. Hours of device availability and hours of operation. Hours of Device Availability If selected to continue operating in Santa Monica, our devices will be available to rent 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We have found that equitable transportation needs to be available 24/7 to ensure everyone has accessibility to our service. This includes those in the service industry who may get off work late at night or those in the hospitality industry who often have various late-night or early-morning shifts.
Hours of Operation
Bird’s hours of operations are 24/7, 365 days a year. As such, Bird provides 24/7 customer service support through the Bird app, via email and by phone. Calls are answered within 29 seconds, and we maintain a global resolution time of fve minutes or less (see page 184 for more information on our approach to customer service). Our customer service is easily accessible to both the City’s residents and visitors through the provision of multilingual services that adhere to ADA standards. Users, community members and City staff can contact our team through a wide range of channels to provide feedback, request assistance with unlocking or locking a Bird, submit consumer inquiries, or report issues and incidents. Regardless of the day or time, Tim can be reached by cell at 480-208-4302 and email at [email protected]. Kate can be reached by cell at 916-524-9619 and email at [email protected].
k. Strategy for response, recovery, and service continuation during times of environmental, economic, or man-made emergencies. As an essential service, relied upon by residents to move safely and sustainably around their communities, Bird has worked closely with local governments and community organizations around the world to develop strategies for reliable service continuation during times of emergency. At Bird, the safety of our communities and our strong partnership with cities are our top priorities. During normal times and times of emergency, we know the exact location and status of our vehicles at any given time of day. We use this information to quickly respond to and remediate any concerns—as small as a low battery charge or as large as rapid response to impending civil unrest—that arise throughout the day. At all times, our strategies for response, recovery and service continuation have been and will be rapid, transparent and safety-centric. Throughout 2020, cities around the world experienced unprecedented environmental, economic and civil unrest. Our teams worked in partnership with local Santa Monica ofcials to answer new questions,
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 21 remediate unpredictable concerns, and develop plans for recovery. As the world begins to emerge from quarantine, we will continue to seek input from our city partners on the efcacy of our responses, using our strategies during COVID-19, the subsequent economic downturn, and the civil unrest in the summer of 2020 as case studies to improve our ability to serve our communities when they need us most.
Responding to COVID-19
In March 2020, Bird’s Government Partnerships team moved rapidly to consult with Santa Monica ofcials in an initial response to COVID-19. We listened to City staff and worked with them to make sense of the unprecedented situation while offering several options for customized service continuity based on communities’ emergent needs. In collaboration with our city partners, we made thoughtful decisions about whether or not to pause or maintain service. For cities like Santa Monica and Tel Aviv that were concerned by lack of physically distanced transportation options for essential workers and opted to maintain service, Bird worked in tandem with local ofcials to develop detailed protocols, intensifying and increasing sanitization of all equipment, providing additional PPE, and modifying our deployments to respond to changes in the community. Santa Monica also asked for proactive messaging that Bird implemented, providing COVID-19 health and safety reminders to riders before each ride. Additionally, we developed ISO 22196 [antimicrobial] and AATCC TM30(iii) [antifungal] certifed handgrips that we plan to update our feet with later this spring. Our local teams also remained in close contact with City ofcials and stood ready to make hour-by-hour adjustments to our service.
For cities like Rome and San Francisco that moved quickly into confnement, we matched pace and removed our feet, offering support to overburdened ofcials whenever possible. In tandem, we took cues from local leaders on the best ways to help lift our communities. We developed programs to offer free rides to frontline healthcare workers and teachers (page 173), featured struggling local restaurants and businesses on our platform, and gave away personal scooters to essential workers. During this challenging time, we focused on listening and taking thoughtful action to support the communities that need us most. In Santa Monica, our adjusted operations and procedures included: ● Ensuring continuity of a limited feet of safe and reliable vehicles for those who rely on Bird for essential travel. ● Working closely with City staff and state ofcials to communicate changes in service and receive confrmation that we were deemed an essential service. ● Modifying our service to meet the needs of the current condition, such as adjusting morning and evening deployments based on deprecated public transit and/or changing travel patterns in the city; reducing the feet size; and not deploying near traditionally tourist areas to help deter joy riding. ● Increasing the daily frequency with which we clean and sanitize our vehicles in the feld.
● Increasing the frequency of our deep-clean “Bird Baths” that take place in our local service centers.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 22 ● Providing extra gloves for our feld service staff members as well as hand sanitizer for all Bird staff, reinforcing all recommended safety protocols and procedures, and making sure our team had the resources necessary to stay safe.
● Closely monitoring the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other trusted federal and global agencies to inform our hour-by-hour decisions.
● Requiring all non-essential employees to work from home to increase their safety and the safety of others during the public health crisis, and developing customized plans for every employee that prioritized their unique needs.
Responding to the Economic Crisis As COVID-19 began to take its toll on small businesses in the City of Santa Monica, we took time to listen to community leaders and business owners to determine how we could offer our platform to help stem the tide. Initially, we moved quickly to use our app to direct riders to local restaurants and small businesses, sharing updated hours and details for how to order essential goods and services. After consulting with city ofcials around the world, we developed a plan to foster economic growth and workforce development by launching our Fleet Manager program. Aimed at providing meaningful employment for those impacted by the harmful effects of COVID-19 on the economy, the Fleet Manager program has helped put more than people back to work worldwide. In Santa Monica, Bird ensured that we continued service throughout the pandemic, keeping our feld teams at work and our vehicles available for essential trips. As stay-at-home orders came in, we shifted our daily deployments to grocery stores, hospitals and testing sites. Based on ride data, this operational shift was highly effective and our vehicles were widely utilized in these areas. For example, we saw a % increase in rides starting and ending near local Santa Monica grocery stores and restaurants during the month of April 2020. Additionally, we saw a % increase of rides starting and ending in the Mid-City neighborhood near hospitals when we launched our Free Rides for Essential Workers program.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 23 Responding to Civil Unrest in the Summer of 2020
Working closely in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, our operations team made real-time adjustments to pause service and remove vehicles from the public right-of-way during days of both protests and civil unrest in the city. We worked hand in hand with Santa Monica City Manager and emergency operations staff during this unprecedented time. At the request of City ofcials, we pulled vehicles from Santa Monica within 24 hours so that they would not be used as projectiles during the civil unrest that took place throughout the city. As the National Guard was deployed in the city, Bird took direction from City staf to keep vehicles of the streets until the curfews were lifted. During this difcult time, we kept in constant communication with City staf. Bird employees also rallied together with the Santa Monica community to help clean up our community when it was safe to do so. Over two dozen local employees met in Downtown Santa Monica and Main Street to assist in cleaning up our hometown.
Resilience and Business Continuity Plan
In addition to the local responses detailed above, Bird maintains a comprehensive global Resilience and Business Continuity Plan. The plan was specifcally designed to guide Bird through a recovery efort to restore all critical organization functions in the event of any global, regional or local natural or human-caused event. Please see Appendix 5 to view the plan in its entirety.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 24 3. EQUIPMENT: Describe specific details and provide photos of the proposed devices and supporting equipment; briefly describe unique elements that you are offering beyond the minimum requirements outlined in Sections 4.2 and 4.3 of the Administrative Regulations. Descriptions should include without limitation
Bird was the frst e-scooter company to design and engineer an e-vehicle specifcally for shared use. This commitment to meeting the needs of our riders continues today, as evidenced by our diverse portfolio of multimodal vehicles that lead the industry in terms of safety, technological innovation, durability and sustainability. Diverse Options to Meet Community Needs
Bird understands that people in Santa Monica have different transportation needs that can’t be met with a one-size-fts-all solution. We will provide a diversity of device types and services that are affordable and reliable, serve a wide range of users, and provide equitable community access. Our diversifed feet in Santa Monica will include the following options to ensure that all riders have equitable access to our mobility solutions.
BirdOne BirdTwo BirdThree
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 25 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 26 Bird One Rented Via: Bird mobile app Details: The Bird One is our second-generation vehicle and an Honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation category at the 2020 CES Innovation Awards honoring outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products. It is specifcally designed for the demands of shared e-scooter use, as proven by the more than rides it has provided since launching in Santa Monica in 2019. CVC Compliant: Yes. Additional Information: See specs on page 37.
Bird One Seated Rented Via: Bird mobile app Details: The Bird One Seated—piloted in San Francisco and Chicago and refective of feedback from the community—is a seated scooter with a convenient, inclusive step-through design. It features an extended wheelbase, advanced steering geometry and large, semi-pneumatic, puncture-resistant tires designed to withstand the diverse terrain of city streets and bike lanes and to enhance vehicle stability and comfort for riders. Setting the standard for safety, this vehicle features tip detection, high-visibility lighting and refector systems, , and ofers superior resistance against rain, dust and poor weather conditions. Its durable aluminum chassis withstands the demands of shared use. CVC Compliant: Yes. Additional Information: See specs on page 37.
Bird Two Rented Via: Bird mobile app Details: Bird Two, the world’s frst shared-use eco-friendly smart scooter, is the culmination of tens of millions of rides, cutting-edge product design and engineering, safety certifcations and rigorous road tests. It is our third-generation custom-designed e-scooter and winner in the Automotive & Transportation category at the 2020 International Design Excellence Awards—one of the longest running and most prestigious design awards programs in the world. Bird Two is an unmatched advancement from a city, rider and hardware experience. It is the longest lasting, most durable e-scooter in the industry and has an expected lifespan of —up to as long as the models used by other operators. Its custom-engineered encased battery ofers riders unmatched reliability and cities unprecedented safety with its IP68 rating. CVC Compliant: Yes. Additional Information: See specs on page 37.
Bird Three Rented Via: Bird mobile app Details: Bird will debut the Bird Three, our most advanced e-scooter, in Santa Monica later this year. It is the culmination of nearly , cutting-edge engineering, redundant structural testing and rigorous road tests. Bird Three, and all our vehicles, exceed the highest safety standards including, but not limited to: only using ISO 9001:2015 certifed suppliers; the German eKFV standard; an IP68-rated waterproof battery; and an UL 2272 certifcation for vehicle electrical safety. CVC Compliant: Yes.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 27 Additional Information: See specs on page 37.
Rented Via: Bird mobile app Details: Building off our successful Bird Two and Bird Three vehicles, the is the world’s most advanced and safest It features ; a dual kickstand to ensure it is kept upright; audible voice prompts and alarm sounds through an onboard speaker; multi-mode geolocation through geolocation services; and a . CVC Compliant: . Additional Information: See specs on page 39.
Rented Via: Bird mobile app Details: Bird is proud to introduce our newest offering, The to Santa Monica. An advanced designed for shared use, the offers riders more car-free options, with our e-scooters supporting shorter frst- and last-mile trips and our fulflling longer journeys. The expanded feet will provide accessible, green and socially distanced modes of transportation that empower residents to more easily navigate local neighborhoods while meeting Santa Monica’s mobility goals. Bird have our , designed to provide a frictionless rider experience and enable our devices to easily lock to street infrastructure. Similar to our e-scooters, are docked or dockless and can be parked at specifed stations. CVC Compliant: . Additional Information: See specs on page 39.
Rented Via: Riders can reserve this device in advance through the Bird mobile app, website or by phone. Details: Bird is partnering with , the leader in next-generation mobility devices, to provide an accessible vehicle for Santa Monica residents and visitors, which will be available in summer 2021. Equipped with can effortlessly navigate the different topographies of Santa Monica. CVC Compliant:
Rented Via: Riders will reserve the devices and schedule vehicle delivery via a dedicated webpage. Details: . After confrming their reservation, riders receive a unique code to unlock the vehicle. To support access, will be a donation-based program. Riders will be asked to pay what they can for the rental and all funds will be reinvested in expanding the service. CVC Compliant: .
By diversifying our available form factors, we are responding to feedback from our community and our riders to offer more car-free options, accommodating shorter frst- and last-mile trips via our multimodal
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 28 offering—seated and standing options—and fulflling longer journeys with our e-bikes. We look forward to providing riders with options that meet various accessibility needs, trip durations, destinations and more.
Award-Winning Design Bird is proud to be the frst shared micromobility company—and one of only three currently—to engineer our own vehicles from the ground up. By designing vehicles in-house, we developed a seamless feedback loop across Bird’s operations, engineering, data security, product and government partnerships teams. Cross-functional communication allows us to improve vehicle safety, reliability and sustainability with each update and subsequent model. Much of this feedback, such as implementing a double kickstand and having no exposed wiring, came from the City of Santa Monica staff and the Santa Monica Shared Mobility Advisory Committee. Our best-in-class industrial design and engineering teams hail from the automobile, safety and aerospace industries. We never cut corners or compromise safety. As such, Bird has never experienced dangerous equipment recalls, harmful hacks or data breaches. Each Bird vehicle passess a simulating real-world accident and damage scenarios and testing our vehicles’ structural integrity beyond any current industry standard.
See Appendix 1 for details.
Developing Global Safety Standards
Bird leads the development of global safety standards for the entire industry. Our engineers currently chair or contribute to the following micromobility safety standards development committees:
Organization Safety Standard Bird Role
American Society for Testing and Materials Commercial Electric-Powered Task Group Chair (ASTM): Powered Scooters & Skateboards Scooters for Adults
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 29
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 32 Categorization:
Each Bird device complies with all federal, state and local laws and meets the statutory defnition of Shared Mobility Device as defned in Section 2 of the Regulations and Section 3.22.020(g) of the Ordinance: It is a transportation device by which a person can be propelled that is displayed, offered and placed for rent in public areas and public right-of-ways.
Evidence of Compliance with California Vehicle Code:
Bird’s e-scooters comply with and come within the meaning of motorized scooter as defned in the California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 407.5(a): It is a two-wheeled device that has handlebars, has a seat or a foorboard that is designed to be stood upon when riding, and is powered by an electric motor. Each Bird device complies with the requirements set forth in CVC Sections 21220 – 21235. meets all applicable standards for a Class 1 electric bicycle and is currently undergoing California Vehicle Code certifcation.
Safety Standards
Bird’s vehicles, electrical systems and batteries comply with, and exceed, all applicable U.S. and International standards, including those established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and outlined by the International Organization of Standardization. In addition, the Bird Bike meets the standards outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under Title 16, Chapter II, Subchapter C, Part 1512 – Requirements for Bicycles. Additionally, the Bird Three meets the stringent requirements of the “eKFV” (Small Electric Vehicle Ordinance) in Germany and the “SI 6230” (Electric Scooter Standard) in Israel.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 33 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 34 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 35 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 36
Battery Capacity
Drive Wheel
Wattage viii. Average mileage on a single full battery charge ix. Anti-theft and vandal resistant hardware and components
Weight
Climbing Slope
Max Load
Regenerative Brake
Frame Material
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 38 Refectors White or Amber White or Amber White or Amber White or Amber (depending on (depending on (depending on (depending on regulations) regulations) regulations) regulations)
Operating Temperature
Brain Tech
Sensors
Model i. Sizing, and features that make the device easy to use by a wide range of users (see page 172 for more information) ii. Tire type and wheel size
iii. Brake types
iv. Lighting brightness and unique lighting features
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 39
Refectors
Operating Temperature
Brain Tech
Sensors
x. On-device messaging such as Contact information, and Vehicle ID Each Bird vehicle features the following Contact and Vehicle ID information: ● 24/7 Customer Service and Multilingual Issues Reporting Hotline: 1.886.205.2442 ● Company Website: www.bird.co ● Vehicle ID: unique alphanumeric sequence
The information is displayed in 48-point raised font for increased readability. The reporting hotline and vehicle ID are also displayed via a braille identifer to meet the needs of the visually impaired. The location of the identifer varies by device type. We listened to city staff around the U.S. and the Santa Monica Shared Mobility Advisory Committee to place this information in highly visible and accessible areas on the vehicle. For example, based on City of Santa Monica staff feedback to have rider education included on the foorboard, we designed our Bird Two and Bird Three to meet that requirement. Bird vehicles also display safety information specifc to the device in 32-point font or greater. The information is complemented by universally recognized images for ease of reference. For example, the Bird One and Bird Two devices feature the following safety information:
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 41 Vehicle ID Safety/Contact • Black letters • White letters • Clear backing • Black backing
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 42 xi. Any unique device amenities that improve safety or rider experience As a transportation company, safety is and must be our obsession. Our teams think holistically about improving safety through innovative solutions and advanced technology that increase safety while also improving riding experience. Bird’s feet of vehicles feature the following:
Improvements in Safety: What You Can See Industrial-Grade Anti-Tipping Dual Kickstand: Bird is committed to preserving the public space through sound vehicle design. As such, and based on feedback from City staff, Santa Monica Shared Mobility Advisory Board, Wise and Healthy Aging, Downtown Santa Monica, Wilmont and Mid-City Neighborhood Associations, we improved our kickstand for our multimodal feet to minimize the occurrence of tipped vehicles that lead to sidewalk clutter. Our new dual, two point on the ground kickstand keeps Bird Bike and our latest scooters upright in up to 40+ mph winds, and with this improvement, approximately 99% of our Bird Two e-scooters have remained upright in Santa Monica, helping reduce clutter and the potential for someone tripping over a misplaced device. Bird vehicles are equipped with pneumatic t, self-sealing tires to deliver a safer, smoother and more reliable ride. rather than trying to improve the tires for what was previously a toy to many, we and shrink it into our vehicle designs. As an example, our latest scooter models feature large 10-inch tires have a thick, patterned tread to increase grip, reduce vibration, and absorb the unevenness of rough terrains, allowing for a safer ride over uneven surfaces like cobblestones or potholes. A recent report by the International Transport Forum, a global intergovernmental organization that acts as a think tank for transport policy, identifed pneumatic tires as an important safety measure for micromobility vehicles. When riders increase speed to 15 mph, the sophisticated system on our vehicles prevents out-of-control, sudden movements, helps lessen the risks posed by uneven pavement, maneuvering through trafc, potholes or sudden stops. We developed this technology after studying the data collected from our previous models to ensure we are providing the safest vehicle on the market.
Seamless Design: After receiving feedback from Santa Monica City staff, we eliminated exposed screws on our vehicles, reducing theft, repairs, vandalism and injury risk. To our knowledge, we are the only operator to have a seamless vehicle design. Status Indicator: Status lights on the vehicle display varying states that inform riders and Bird teams of vehicle availability and maintenance needs. Before the ride, green and red status lights indicate available and reserved, respectively. In-ride, a yellow light indicates a no-ride zone and a red light denotes a no-parking zone. Our local market team recognizes other light patterns to indicate charging, charge complete, and vehicle in need of repair. In these ways, our status indicator light can help riders and our team understand vehicle states quickly and to respond appropriately.
er
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 43 Approachable Design: Our engineering and industrial designers design Bird vehicles to be safe, approachable and operable by large segments of the population. Bird's scooters have best in class steering geometry that places the axis of steering ahead of the wheel contact patch to utilize the "caster effect" for stabilization on uneven surfaces or against sudden movements. Our safety focused steering geometry, wide handlebars, spacious deck, low center of gravity, and large air-flled tires make our vehicles accommodating to all riders. In addition, by diversifying our feet we widen our appeal to a broader audience. For example, Bird Bike’s step-through frame supports universal accessibility for populations with limited mobility, and our Bird One Seated device has an attached basket as a safety and rider beneft.
Improvements in Safety: What’s Inside
Industry’s Longest Lasting and Most Durable Encased Battery: Bird Two and Three are equipped with an . It is also the —providing the highest level of protection against damage from solids, dust and water. As a result, it can be submerged in water more than two times as deep for extended periods more than four times as long as the nearest other e-scooter battery. A sophisticated humidity sensor that communicates risk or distress to our servers also sets our batteries apart. These advanced safety features and rating are critical in providing the safest vehicle for riders and cities. Lithium-ion batteries are an energy-dense power source that rely on stable conditions in order to function safely. Damaged cells, faulty connectors, compromised casings and water and dust intrusion can have dangerous real-life consequences. In addition, our latest batteries offer % more range than retail-grade scooters used by other operators, providing longer rides for riders and reducing the likelihood of riders getting a “bad scan” and being unable to unlock the vehicle because of deprecated battery supply. For more information, please see page 78. Beginner Mode and Speed Governor: Santa Monica is a tourist destination, and as such, many riders take their frst ride here. For example, in March 2021, % of all rides in the Colorado/Ocean Ave neighborhood (SM Pier/Ocean Ave) were frst-time riders. To limit the device speed and create a safer, more stable experience for such riders, Bird developed the industry-frst Beginner Mode. Each Bird is equipped with this feature, and it can be activated at any time. Studies have shown that % of e-scooter injuries occur on the rider’s frst trip. To demonstrate our commitment to safety in Santa Monica, all frst-time Bird riders will start in Beginner Mode. Bird already has very few injuries reported in Santa Monica (see page 100), but we look forward to seeing even further reduced reports with this new innovative safety technology. While other operators are making it easy for just anyone to ride their vehicles without going through safety videos, Bird takes a more cautious approach to ensure safety is always top priority. We will work with Santa Monica to customize the number of rides riders take on Beginner Mode. Please see page 116 for more information. Additionally, a speed governor limits the device’s top speed to 15 mph.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 44
incentives or designated virtual parking locations for large scale events such as Main Street Summer SOULstice and LA Marathon to bring more of the city within reach of residents, visitors, and employees.
“We’re proud to have Bird, the innovative global leader in micromobility, as a member of our Chamber of Commerce. Founded and headquartered right here in Santa Monica, Bird is an active part of our community. From sponsoring and participating in our events, to educating other members through presentations in committees, and donating helmets to our Leadership Academy participants, they’re an active member of the Chamber. Bird’s commitment to Santa Monica during COVID-19 has been impressive as they have highlighted local businesses in their mobile application and on their social media channels to drive trafc. We’re thrilled Bird is applying to continue to operate here in Santa Monica, knowing with their continued operations comes an engaged community partner focused on providing clean mobility and innovative technology to our great city.”
Laurel Rosen, President/CEO, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce
.
Bird Pay: Connecting Santa Monica We launched Bird Pay in Santa Monica in early 2020 to promote “scoot and shop local” initiatives and enable riders to make purchases using the Bird app. With more than % of Bird rides heading to or ending at a local business each day, Bird Pay builds on this natural link and drives purchases by connecting small businesses like Miss Vickies, Elabrew Cofee, and Harvest Bar with our extensive network of riders. During COVID-19, Bird paused the payment feature but partnered with the City of Santa Monica and small-business owners across the city to provide free featured placement on our in-app map (see page 24), helping riders identify local restaurants that were open for takeout and delivery. When tapped, featured restaurants like Milo & Olive, Fritto Misto, Cafe Bolivar and Harvest Bar expanded to display their address, photos, and contact information. Bird promoted the feature across social media channels and on our blog.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 47 Bird highlighting local restaurants open for takeout and delivery
A recent Emory University study found e-scooter programs drive signifcant consumer spending in cities, averaging an additional $921 in spending per e-scooter deployed over six months1 . As Santa Monica starts to rebuild the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and businesses begin to reopen, Bird aims to relaunch Bird Pay to support local commerce across the city. The in-app feature will promote Santa Monica’s vibrant network of retail corridors while offering riders a safe, contactless payment method for making purchases. Bird’s local team will work with our contacts at Santa Monica Buy Local and organizations such as Santa Monica Chamber, Main Street BID, Pico Improvement District, Downtown Santa Monica and Montana Avenue Merchants Association to promote the initiative. Our plan is to develop joint rider incentives with participating businesses to encourage riders to shop local; this may include offering Bird Credits for purchases made via Bird Pay, or store discounts for customers arriving by Bird. For example, Bird has a partnership with Earthbar Ocean Ave, a health food restaurant in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, which now features a “Bird Bowl” on their menu, has Bird designated parking and provides Bird riders with a discount when they arrive by Bird.
“Since Bird launched in Los Angeles, we’ve seen an increase in foot trafc as locals and tourists explore the area, and pop in and enjoy a healthy snack or meal. It made sense to offer riders an effortless way to purchase our famous acai bowls and smoothies using the mode of transportation that brought them to Harvest Bar.”
Aric Haut, Owner of Harvest Bar
1 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3802082
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 48 Partnership with Earthbar Ocean Ave
Improvements to Software Our experienced team of world class app developers continue to update and refne the Bird app, reducing lag and latency while delivering a more streamlined rider experience. Signifcant investments in overhauling our data pipeline also provide real-time data and status updates, improving our ability to manage our feet and interact with riders in real time. As such, Bird has one of the top-rated micromobility mobile applications in the world, averaging a global user rating of 4.85/5.
c. Device durability and anticipated life span Device Durability
Our devices are purposefully built to withstand the demands of shared use and thousands of miles of travel on city streets. They undergo a robust and rigorous testing (see page 51) to ensure vehicles are durable and can maintain high levels of performance throughout their life span. We use long-lasting, high-quality components in our vehicles. For example, on average, we only need to replace tires during a vehicle’s useful life, while our battery, embedded computer and motor can often be .
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 49 provides unparalleled acid, alkali and extreme heat resistance while slowing the effects of aging and use.
Designing our vehicles in-house also enables us to use data from each previous model to inform improvements for the next. As a result, Bird Two and Bird Three require 29% fewer repairs than its predecessors and offer the lowest EoL rate (the annual rate at which we retire and recycle vehicles, as compared to the total number of vehicles in use over a given year) in the industry at .00002. Second Life
We recognize that a more sustainable future requires new methods for recycling and reusing our lithium-ion batteries, and we are committed to cultivating this nascent industry in Santa Monica by selecting vendors with demonstrated commitment to a greener transport sector. We work with recycling frms vendors like SNAM, who was recently awarded frst prize for circular economy by OcciNov in Occitane. Together, we create pilot programs that help extend the life and use of every battery we manufacture. We are currently working on two pilot programs to explore options for giving batteries a “second life,” frst by refurbishing them for reuse in our own scooters and second as a mobile powerwall to increase charging capacity at our service locations. We are also working with our recycling vendors to make our manufacturing “circular,” with the hope of eventually using materials recycled from Bird batteries to manufacture our new batteries. We are also working with Back Market on a global partnership that will extend the life cycle of our devices by giving them a “second life” as refurbished, high quality, consumer owned mobility devices. We expect this partnership to be fnalized in Q3, 2021 and to have an immediate positive impact on our carbon footprint.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 50 Under the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), Bird focuses on minimizing waste by reducing the number of component parts we must produce, reusing when possible and recycling when component parts reach their end-of-life. Nearly of a Bird is reusable on other vehicles or other products, and approximately 10% of the aluminum and other metals used in the manufacture of our scooters come from recycled materials. Additionally, we partner with third parties to refurbish vehicles which are donated to organizations for private use. Similarly, because our batteries are engineered to last up to four times longer than our vehicles, we prioritize giving batteries a “second life,” frst by refurbishing them for reuse in our own scooters and second as a mobile powerwall to increase charging capacity at our facilities. In the near term, we will make our manufacturing “circular,” using recycled Bird batteries to manufacture new batteries.
Rigorous Testing Protocols Bird uses state-of-the-art validation methodology to conduct rigorous stress and reliability tests on our vehicles. All testing takes place under stringent scientifc and safety standards to simulate real-world accident and damage scenarios; this includes testing the vehicles on varied surfaces from
The data we collect becomes design inputs for during the design process and is the cornerstone of our recipe for accelerated durability testing and life cycle correlation. This data is also the key to developing internal testing standards that exceed regulatory profles and ensure long life.
Testing Protocol Details
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 51 We pride ourselves on developing vehicles that meet the highest standards in safety, sustainability and reliability. Bird only partners with certifed suppliers who use documented quality management systems and processes to build our scooters. A third-party frm routinely audits our manufacturer to ensure compliance with . Partnering with certifed and experienced suppliers allows us to provide safe, high-quality micromobility vehicles.
Anticipated Lifespan
Bird Two has a projected lifespan of more than months. The lifespan of earlier models have been certifed by accredited third parties including Carbone 4, CEA Consulting and an independent consultant from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Thanks to high-quality maintenance standards, we continue to operate tens of thousands of Bird Zeros launched more than two years ago, outliving its projected lifespan by an average of . Similarly, Bird One launched in May 2019 and continues to outlive its projected lifespan. Please see page 70 for more information on our high quality maintenance.
Bird One
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 52 Bird One .
Bird Two
Bird Three
Anticipated E-Scooter Deprecation Schedule Adhering to our Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA)—conducted by third-party auditor, CEA Consulting—and anticipated vehicle depreciation schedule, we are phasing out our Bird One at a responsible rate that prioritizes maximizing vehicle lifespan and the needs of the market. Please refer to the following table for expected dates for retiring and deploying each model. We anticipate a conversion to an e-scooter feet serviced by Bird One Seated, Bird Two, Bird Three, Bird.s and Bird Bike during summer 2021.
Bird One Bird Two and Bird Three
Estimated Expected Lifespan
Date of Deployment December 2018 March 2021 in Santa Monica
Percent of Total Fleet (as of April 2021)
Date of Retirement from Santa Monica
All Birds retired from our Santa Monica feet are either transferred to another market for further use or are recycled by our local partner, IT Asset Partners, using the practices described in detail on page 109.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 53 d. Device GPS capabilities, including geo-locational device controls and systems, geofencing, location-based speed reduction or deactivation, sidewalk riding controls, parking controls, device maintenance alerts, tipping sensors, etc. GPS Technology We understand that preserving public space and maintaining clear sidewalks is key to keeping pedestrians of all ages and abilities safe. Since launching in 2017, Bird has developed community-informed, on-vehicle technology-driven solutions to actively manage the operation of our vehicles in the public right-of-way. Over the past three-plus years, Bird has marked advancements in our technology and systems. For example, previously when using only GPS data and prior to adding location technology onto the vehicle, our geozones were accurate within Santa Monica spoke about the need for better technology, and we listened. Following signifcant investments in our technology and engineering resources, we are now accurate within . Bird provides enhanced GPS capability via our proprietary ), which consistently delivers vehicle location accuracy within in approximately
For GPS to work effectively, the location chip on a device needs to “see” a GPS satellite. Interference can be caused by inclement weather or large buildings. These can result in an “urban canyon” effect that dulls or blocks GPS signals. utilizes multiple data sources to provide an accurate location. Each data source outlined below serves a primary function, while also emitting a location signal. By fusing these signals together, we signifcantly increase the location accuracy and redundancy of our system.
●
Bird’s Next-Generation Location System Bird has worked with one of the world’s most sophisticated location chip manufacturers to co-develop a new, hyper-accurate vehicle location system that will be implemented in Santa Monica in summer 2021. This advanced technology harnesses our highly accurate and exponentially increases its precision and functionality to deliver true vehicle location within 10 centimeters of accuracy in good conditions. Such precision is made possible through the use of inertial navigation, wheel location technique and dead reckoning. Thanks to our , we can combine our on-vehicle sensors with external information to reduce uncertainty in machine perception and offer Santa Monica the most accurate location solution available. We will work closely with City staff to leverage this technology for critically important initiatives such as sidewalk riding prevention, parking location enforcement, speed regulation and any other application where a fast and accurate position is needed. For example, we will help
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 54 eliminate sidewalk riding in high-priority corridors such as Colorado Esplanade, Downtown Santa Monica, and Main Street, wherever bike lanes are present.
Geofencing with
Bird uses customizable, strictly enforced geofences to manage rider behavior in Santa Monica. This includes no-ride, no-parking and reduced-speed zones. Our sophisticated establishes both permanent (static and time activated) and temporary (single use, usually for events) geofences that are color-coded in our app to ensure rider visibility. Every geozone, or spatial polygon with rules governing rider behavior, is established remotely and can be easily adapted to immediately meet Santa Monica’s changing needs. Enforcement is applied at the vehicle level via each Bird’s onboard embedded computer. Within the Bird app, slow zones are highlighted in orange and no-ride/no-parking zones are highlighted in red. We currently have 70+ geofenced areas in Santa Monica such as neighborhood parks, the 3rd Street Promenade, the Beach Bike Path and the Pier, and we will continue to geofence specifc areas as we gather feedback from the City and residents. How It Works delivers precise vehicle location by connecting a . In Santa Monica, this allows us to enforce geofences and parking locations within as little as of accuracy. Our local team maps each block along with unique features such as the city’s protected bike lanes and E Line light rail station to create bespoke geofences that govern rider behavior. Once completed, these geozones are stored both in our vehicles’ onboard embedded computers and in the cloud, which are then automatically refreshed to ensure continuous location accuracy.
● (reduced-speed areas, no-ride zones, bike lanes and sidewalks) paramount to community safety and regulatory compliance and must be processed in real time. ● Reports the of the vehicle times per
● The most advanced platform in the world, this houses service area maps including reduced-speed areas, no-ride zones, bike lanes and sidewalks. ● Uses data from to achieve one precise location within approximately
Our system . These frst-gen systems lose valuable seconds as the vehicle must communicate with the Cloud to determine geofence permissions, resulting in a lag in response and enforcement of up to seconds. This means a scooter traveling at 15 mph will travel the length of nearly before it responds. By processing geofencing in near real time, Bird’s system signifcantly increases both rider and pedestrian safety. We also test regularly around Santa Monica including the Third Street Promenade and Palisades
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 55 Park. Having so many employees living and working in Santa Monica allows us to constantly fne-tune our geofences around the city. For example, the City recently installed a protected bike lane along Ocean Ave. We saw ridership dramatically increase along this route, but we were also receiving feedback from employees that their vehicle was slowing down in certain parts. We found the geofence on Palisades Park was catching some of the Birds in the bike lane. Based on this feedback, we adjusted the geofence to within 1 foot so the Palisades Park geofence no longer affects rides in the newly protected bike lane.
Location-Based Speed Reductions Bird, in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, was the frst operator to use speed limitation technology to efciently and safely implement location-based speed reductions. In 2018, at the request of the City, our engineers began working on the frst geofencing system built specifcally for micromobility. This technology is now used to manage shared micromobility programs around the world. Using our on-vehicle speed governor and geofencing technology, we can implement a range of speed limits (both temporary or permanent) in different areas of a city and on specifc streets, from 1 mph to 15 mph. In Santa Monica, we currently reduce the speed of our e-scooters to 1 mph in the following areas: Beach Path, 3rd Street Promenade, Ocean Front Walk, Pier and Pier Bridge, and all City public parks. If a rider enters one of these zones, Bird alerts the individual via cell phone as well as audible and visual alerts on the Bird that the vehicle’s speed is about to be safely reduced. Bird will continue to implement location-based speed reduction and deactivation strategies in designated areas of Santa Monica in accordance with City direction. In addition to successfully implementing permanent geofences across the city, Bird has experience with using temporary geofences to support safe service during large-scale events. For example, during the Los Angeles Marathon in March 2020, we worked closely with the City of Santa Monica staff and local law enforcement to institute a geofence along the route and prohibit parking in high-trafc areas. We also had on-the-ground Bird Ambassadors and street teams rebalancing scooters throughout the day. Bird ensured these temporary restrictions were widely advertised to our riders in advance of the event via in-app notifcations, rider emails and social media.
No-Parking Zones Bird uses no-parking zones to prevent riders from parking vehicles in areas requested by the City, residents or businesses. These areas often experience high pedestrian volumes, such as Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park and Ocean Front Walk. Over nearly four years, we have also instituted 36+ no-parking areas based on community feedback and city forwarded requests. Examples from city requests due to resident complaints, include 100 block of Hollister (narrow sidewalks), 300 block of California Ave (due to parked
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 56 Birds in alley), and prohibiting parking on NorthEast corner of Broadway and Berkely (HOA did not like scooters next to the complex). Bird also geofences certain high-risk areas, such as parks, publicly accessible plazas, off street parking lots/garages, campuses, or other areas outside of the City’s public right-of-way. For example, in Santa Monica, we have implemented no-parking zones at Santa Monica College, Santa Monica Place, Ocean Front Walk and all city parks. If a rider enters a no-parking zone, the Bird sends an alert to the individual's mobile phone and informs them via audible and visual messages on the vehicle itself. Our on-vehicle technology prevents riders from ending their ride until they are outside of the restricted area.
Clover Park No-Parking Zone Memorial Park No-Parking Zone
Virginia Avenue Park No-Parking Zone Christine Emerson Reed Park No-Parking Zone
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 57 No-Ride Zones and Deactivation Our in-market teams work closely with our city partners to identify and incorporate designated no-ride zones, such as Ocean Front Walkway and Third Street Promenade. As a rider approaches a no-ride zone, the Bird sends an alert to the individual’s cell phone and by audible and visual alerts on the vehicle to inform them that their speed will be reduced and then stopped. The Bird then slowly and safely reduces its speed, coming to a complete stop to prevent crossing of the geofence boundary. Riders also receive messaging via the app and on the Bird alerting them when they are approaching a no-ride zone.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 58 Sidewalk Riding and Parking Controls
In 2019, Bird responded to calls from cities around the world and began developing new technologies and controls that limit sidewalk riding in our communities. After exploring several potential solutions over the past three-plus years that fell short of our rigorous evaluation testing, we developed an advanced, next-generation sidewalk detection product using our technology (page 54) to disable devices moments after mounting the sidewalk. We will bring this technology to Santa Monica for the Shared Mobility Pilot Program. Please see page 123 for Bird’s complete plan to prevent sidewalk riding in Santa Monica. We also use this solution for parking controls. Each device contains GPS equipment that provides the locational accuracy needed to virtually designate a "drop zone” system for device parking. Designated drop zone locations are included in Bird’s mobile application. In addition, Bird currently incentivizes users to return devices to predesignated deployment drop zones by providing a $1 discount from the current ride to riders that end their ride in one of the 100+ designated Santa Monica parking locations. Since launching this product, we’ve paid more than to riders in Santa Monica. Bird restricts a rider’s ability to end their current trip in prohibited parking areas. Please see page 128 for Bird’s comprehensive parking plan, customized for Santa Monica.
- Device Maintenance Alerts and Tipping Sensors
Modeled after the found in automobiles today, Bird vehicles feature . Birds use these sensors and machine learning to self-diagnose and report nearly unique events, from abnormal battery temperatures to a sticky brake. This technology makes it easier for Bird to manage its devices remotely and allows our teams to quickly locate distressed vehicles before damage or vandalism can place riders at risk. ● Anti-Tip Sensors and Gyroscope: Anti-tip sensors help detect improper parking. Each Bird vehicle contains several sensors, including a gyroscope that checks in every seconds when idle or
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 59 seconds while being ridden. Once we have been alerted that a vehicle is tipped over, we send a local team member to adjust and properly repark the vehicle. Since implementing this technology, Bird has seen an % reduction in complaints related to tipped scooters. ● Damage Sensors: Birds feature that can detect if it needs repairs. When a vehicle is damaged, onboard sensors analyze the nature of the damage and send a report to our mechanics detailing the components impacted, who immediately remove the device from our app and retrieve it for repairs within . Sensors deliver fault codes such as when there is a loss of communication, drop in voltage, water intrusion, damage to the dual sensor throttle, unsafe operating temperatures, or irregularities with the braking systems. We set limits and thresholds for normal component part behaviors. If sensors detect irregularities that approach a threshold, they trigger our teams for preventative maintenance. If they pass the threshold, the vehicle takes itself ofine immediately to prevent unsafe use. For example, since implementing this technology, we have reduced the damage rate of our Bird Twos by around % compared to Bird One. ● Battery Sensors: Bird vehicles frequently send information about battery capacity to our servers in real time. Vehicles are fagged when a battery behaves abnormally, such as when the battery does not hold a charge, or when battery levels reach a % threshold. If a vehicle stops updating its data in the system, the vehicle is automatically fagged for service and an employee retrieves it for delivery to our service center.
e. Device tracking and status features of software and operations management systems. Device Tracking with Device tracking is incredibly important for several reasons: data integrity; the ability to monitor the feet at all times; to track, and therefore, predict trends to improve our operations and VMT; to rapidly respond to an issue or emergency; and to ensure the feet is intact to continue to offer a reliable service to residents and visitors. Bird’s new (see page 54) delivers precise location data every and reliably delivers vehicle location accuracy within All of our devices feature the necessary technology to provide location tracking and ensure compliance with the MDS and GBFS requirements of Sections 4.9.1 and 4.9.2 of the program rules. Each Bird is also outftted with enable us to locate our devices if they have been . The battery lasts up to while the sensor lies dormant and, once activated, emits a signal which allows our operations and logistics teams to isolate the vehicle’s precise location. We also activate the in the unlikely event that other tools fail to provide sufcient data for tracking. For example, if a vehicle is left under an underpass or put into a dumpster, so the brain cannot emit or receive a signal, is activated. We have successfully reduced the theft or missing rate of our feet by with these strategies and technologies. xa Bird VLS Advancement (left) vs. Others Technology (right)
Real world data taken by Bird Engineering
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 60 : Operations Management System
After nearly four years of service in Santa Monica, we know that efcient operations require more than simply knowing the location and status of our feet. They require real-time predictions on rider demand based on a holistic view of the past, current and future condition of each of our vehicles. That’s why we built an advanced, proprietary operations management system that uses sophisticated to monitor our feet and precisely adjust operations based on predicted needs. built from tens of billions of accumulated operational data points in Santa Monica. It allows us to, for example, understand when a surge of e-scooter use is expected along Ocean Ave. and deploy or rebalance vehicles accordingly. It also monitors exact vehicle locations and statuses, as well as the number of vehicles in any given neighborhood zone at any given time. Example data sources that inform Bird AI include:
Operational Data:
Real-Time City Conditions:
City Profles:
After collecting years of data in the City of Santa Monica, makes adjustments knowing when and where vehicles are needed throughout Santa Monica. Coupled with our billions of global data points collected over the past three-plus years of operation, Bird AI is both predictive and reactive to increase the efciency of our operations over time while managing the variables of the real-world such as:
Monitoring Location allows us to track our vehicles’ location in real time. When combined with historical rider data, the combination allows Bird AI to anticipate where vehicles will be. This enables us to intervene if a vehicle’s status moves from a normal state like “ready” or “in-ride” to “in-peril”—an indication the vehicle is at risk of loss, theft or water damage. Additional statuses include: Needs inspection, low-charge, missing, damaged, ofine, submerged, and tipped. It also allows us to anticipate and solve parking issues before they happen.
Number of Vehicles in Use: From allocating feet deployments to initiating proactive rebalancing or anticipating low battery levels, our system monitors the number of vehicles in the service area and sets caps for certain neighborhoods to prevent overconcentration and to encourage the equitable feet distribution in neighborhoods like Pico where transit access is limited and vehicle ownership is low. We combine machine learning based on historical supply and demand with local regulations to ensure Birds are in the optimal location at all times for every rider who wants to use the service.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 61
Our team has signifcant experience working successfully with third-party platforms and establishing interoperability with public transport systems around the world. Our devices’ fexibility and affordability make them a natural link to cities' existing public transport services, and allow riders to fulfll their specifc frst- and last-mile needs according to their own schedules. We currently work with four US transit agencies, 16 global agencies and several third-party transit apps to provide advanced transit integrations working toward our shared MasS goals. These partnerships have taken on a variety of forms to date, including:
Transit Agency Integration Type Details
Dallas Area Rapid Integration of information. Provide Bird GBFS feed for Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Transit “GoPass” mobile app. Riders can see available Birds alongside Dallas, TX real-time transit information.
Transit Authority of Integration of information. Provide Bird GBFS feed for TARC’s multi modal trip planner River City app. Riders can see available Birds alongside real-time transit Louisville, KY information.
SNCF Integration of Provide Bird GBFS feed for Assistant SNCF app (national France information. state-owned rail company). Riders can see available Birds alongside real-time transit information.
Wiener Linien Unlock/lock, dedicated Planned integration allowing unlocking and locking of Bird Vienna, Austria parking. scooters within the Wien Mobil MaaS app. Parking areas at different metro stations.
SBB Unlock/lock, dedicated Integration enabling users of the SBB application to Switzerland parking. access e-scooters directly via the SBB application. Hubs at
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 63 train stations in cities we are operating with designated preferential parking spots.
BVG Jelbi Integration of information, Integration will allow unlocking and locking Bird scooters European third-party trip planning, booking, within Berlin’s public transport app (Jelbi), as well as the transit planning and payment and dedicated free use of recharging at Jelbi hubs and stations. payment app parking.
Skipr Integration of information, Bird partners with Skipr in Antwerp, Belgium, enabling European third-party trip planning, booking and riders to view, plan, book and pay for multimodal transit planning and payment. itineraries that include Bird and public transit trips within payment app the Skipr app.
Moovit Integration of information, Planned integration with Moovit in Tampa, FL, enabling riders Global third-party trip planning, booking and to view, plan, book and pay for multimodal itineraries that transit planning and payment. include Bird and public transit trips within the Moovit app. payment app
LA Metro Dedicated parking. Bird partners with LA Metro to incentivize micromobility Los Angeles, CA parking at their train stations. Our team is also in advanced discussions with them regarding locating Birds so as to supplement bus service at stations where there has been a reduction in service, or where there is overcrowding of buses.
Transit App Integration Bird is partnering with Transit, a global third-party Mobility as a Service (MaaS) app with millions of active users in 200 cities around the world, including Santa Monica. The Transit app enables users to easily navigate public transit like Big Blue Bus and Metro with accurate real-time predictions, simple multimodal trip planning, ofine schedules and ofine trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and quick, easy payments. Initially, Bird will launch an integrated experience that will show e-scooter and e-bike locations, battery levels and enable multimodal trip planning with our devices within the Transit app, with a link to unlock our devices in the Bird app. Our plan is to eventually transition to a complete integration, enabling Transit users to create accounts, pay, and fnd and unlock Bird vehicles through Transit.
In Santa Monica, Transit already has approximately 8,000 active monthly users (14,000 Pre-COVID), who are using the app an average of 160,000 times per month. Transit is also the ofcial app for the Big Blue Bus, and recently announced an exciting new pilot that will see crowding predictions provided in-app for every bus line to help riders make informed decisions about trip planning and physical distancing. By incorporating Bird’s multimodal feet, we can encourage transit users to take an alternative transportation mode during peak times, helping to alleviate the immediate pressure on our public transit system and maintain Big Blue Bus accessibility for essential trips for customers who are not able to use alternative modes of travel. We are currently working with LA Metro on a similar bus pilot to place vehicles near high-demand lines to assist with overcrowding. We will work hand in hand with Big Blue Bus to share the
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 64 best practices we learn from LA Metro and see if this is something Big Blue Bus would like to explore as well.
“While Bird got of to a rocky start in our community, they have risen to the occasion to meet the high expectations of the City of Santa Monica over the last four years. As a member of the Santa Monica Shared Advisory Committee, Bird always listened and didn’t give up until issues were resolved, including geofencing the bike path and removing deployment locations. We are now excited to be working together on a partnership to highlight Perry’s Bike locations in the Bird app, directing visitors who want to ride a classic bike to our local bike shops. It’s amazing to see how far Bird has come, and we at Perry’s look forward to continuing our collaborative partnership.” Richard Chacker, Perry’s Bike Rentals and Santa Monica Shared Advisory Committee Member
Deployment to Boost Public Transit Bird will include all of the City’s designated drop zones in the mobile app, as well as use strategic nest placements to complement Santa Monica’s existing transportation infrastructure, fll mobility gaps and boost the use of public transit. Data, trends, and feedback from the community and partnership with transit agencies help us deliver a program that is responsive to and predictive of a community's needs in a dynamic fashion. We know that deployments on a Monday morning likely looks different from what and how deployment on Saturday during lunch time should be implemented. And this also varies from season to season. Our team of urban planners, data scientists and operations specialists continuously review and
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 65 evaluate the city’s mobility needs using our own historic data as well as state-of-the-art predictive modeling technology.
LA Metro Partnership To deepen the natural link between public transit and micromobility, Bird is also partnering with the LA Metro on a new micromobility program that will see the inclusion of designated micromobility parking at every Metro station in Los Angeles. In just the past three months, % of rides that started in Santa Monica were within one block of a metro stop; and % of rides that ended in Santa Monica were within one block of a metro stop. Under the new program, Bird will award riders with a $1 ride credit every time they end a ride at a Metro-approved designated location to encourage riders to use Birds as a frst- or last-mile transit option. This program is going back to the Metro Board in spring 2021 to discuss how successful the program has been.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 66 Designated Bird parking at LA Metro train stations
Incentivized Parking in High-Demand Areas Near Transit In Santa Monica, demand for our service continues to outpace availability, and, as demonstrated by the map on page 64, we continue to see unfulflled sessions near transit stations. An unfulflled trip is defned
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 67 as any time a rider opens our app but doesn’t take a ride. When Bird followed up with rider surveys to understand why they did not take a trip, 71% said it was because no vehicles were nearby. To address this, in addition to increasing the number of strategic nest deployments near bus and rail stations, Bird is incentivizing riders to park in high-demand areas near transit. Thus far 324 riders have rebalanced their vehicles to high demand areas. We use highly visible messaging within the Bird app, including full-screen prompts, in-ride reminders, and parking pins on the map to highlight the parking areas and associated rider credits. Riders receive $1 for ending their ride at an incentivized nest (in addition to receiving $1 off if parked in a City-approved drop zone). The program aims to further increase the accessibility of our devices at transit stations, ensuring device availability for transit users wanting to use Bird to fulfll last-mile connections. In addition, similar to our partnership with LA Metro (see page 67), the incentivized nests reward riders using Bird to connect to Santa Monica’s transit system.
In-App Transit Integrations In Santa Monica we will continue to partner with local transport authorities, and Big Blue Bus to create a cutting-edge MaaS integration with our multimodal fleet ofering. To support this ambition, we will: 1. Support a coalition of international experts to advance a framework to support sustainability in MaaS. To fully decarbonize the transport sector, transport modes must be priced based on their emissions profle, making high-emitting trips more expensive than more sustainable trips. Bird is working with POLIS, MobilityData, Shared Streets, and Carbone 4 to develop data standards to ensure reporting on sustainability indicators is consistent across operators. We are excited to include Santa Monica in these discussions and to jointly develop a framework to enable MaaS platforms to incentivise low-carbon trips. 2. Work with Santa Monica to streamline urban mobility services into a unifed MaaS app, such as Transit (see page 64). To encourage more complete journeys on sustainable modes, we will pursue opportunities to reduce friction to planning, booking, and paying for trips, such as a single MaaS app. Bird commits to continue supporting and dedicating internal resources to both public and third-party MaaS app development efforts, incorporating learnings from Circ’s work with Renfre and The Internet of Mobility (lomob) and Bird’s work with the Skipr and Tranzer apps in Antwerp. 3. Establish cutting-edge physical infrastructure at high-volume rail and bus stations such as Downtown Santa Monica Expo station, 17th St Metro Station and Santa Monica College. To be truly transformative, MaaS must also take into account physical space. Having operated in Santa Monica for nearly four years, we know there are certain locations around the city that have a higher volume of Bird trips. We will work closely with the City and LA Metro to discuss where we can make infrastructure improvements. New, innovative infrastructure can encourage multimodal travel and improve operational efciency, while keeping station areas clear for all travelers. Over time, we can work together to analyze their effectiveness in managing space as well as their impact on operational efciency and sustainability. 4. Continue to provide high-quality data to support Santa Monica in advancing its MaaS strategies, prepared by the most advanced data team in the industry. Bird is currently the only micromobility operator in the world with the ability to deliver verifable real-time data to our city partners. This real-time streaming data infrastructure will enable Bird to integrate into third-party MaaS apps in a way that enhances the customer experience. Similarly, by providing detailed historic data on how
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 68
4. MAINTENANCE: Briefly describe your plan for ensuring that all devices in the fleet are and remain in good working order, clean and safe to operate for a wide range of users.
Bird’s maintenance plan and procedures for ensuring all devices are in good working order, clean, and safe to operate has been refned and fne-tuned over our nearly four years of operating in Santa Monica and 130+ cities globally. Maintenance of our multimodal feet takes place in three local locations by expertly trained technicians: In feld by local staff (minor repairs such as bell replacement, kickstand repairs); in our Santa Monica service locations by highly trained Fleet Managers (medium to major repairs such as brake lever repair and brake pad replacement); and in our main service center in Playa Vista (medium to major repairs and end of life recycling). As described below page 83), all feld teams must complete 72 hours of training on right-of-way management, safety, maintenance, repairs and accessibility annually. Regular refresher training and pop-quizzes are provided on a monthly basis to ensure information is retained.
a. Do you agree to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.4 of the Administrative Regulations? Yes, Bird agrees to meet and exceed the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.4 of the Administrative Regulations.
b. What unique strategies are you offering beyond meeting the minimum requirements in the Administrative Regulations and why are they effective? This could include but is not limited to: i. Field maintenance and shop maintenance procedures Our feld maintenance and shop procedures are rooted in nearly four years of servicing the City of Santa Monica, our global experience serving 130+ cities worldwide and nearly rides. We take pride in continually improving all of our processes based on feedback from city partners and the broader community.
Preventative Maintenance Soon after launching the scooter sharing industry, Bird saw the clear need to design our own vehicles in house to improve safety, reduce the frequency of maintenance and improve overall vehicle performance. Our multimodal feet is designed for shared use and incorporates billions of operational data points that have dramatically reduced maintenance
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 70 requirements while increasing safety. Our vehicle engineering team has done extensive testing on all the parts we use and has established, based on data from nearly rides, mileage and time box thresholds for when we need to inspect and replace each and every part. These notifcations are automatically pushed through the app to mechanics and the local team, and the vehicle cannot be released for use until the inspection or part replacement is completed and logged. A good example of this process is our Bird brakes, which despite being monitored in real time via our state-of-the-art diagnostics will nevertheless trigger a notifcation at precise mileage thresholds for service and replacement.
All of our Bird e-scooters in Santa Monica are equipped with industry-leading self-diagnostics programmed for that if triggered automatically take a vehicle off the road if a safety issue is detected, or create information for later review by a technician.
Additionally, each time our team touches or comes in contact with one of our vehicles, it is sanitized. This results in at least one, and an average of three, sanitizations per day. Bird vehicles also receive deep cleanings, or “Bird Baths”, when they visit the service location to undergo a 106-point inspection process.
Whether deploying, rebalancing or collecting vehicles, our teams follow our Operational Code of Conduct (see Appendix 10), which outlines best practices for how to safely carry out their daily duties, engage with the community, and minimize any adverse impacts of our operations such as contributing to trafc congestion, creating unnecessary noise pollution or blocking ADA access and bike lanes.
Maintenance Alerts Bird identifes safety and maintenance issues through several channels, including on-vehicle alerts from the devices’ continuous self-reporting damage sensors, daily feld and twice-weekly service location inspections, and community reports (see page 74 for more details). When a device requires maintenance, it is automatically deactivated and removed from the app and unavailable to rent. Our local market team then removes the device from the public right-of-way within one hour of notifcation (average response time is 15 minutes) for resolution. Reasons for deactivation include, but are not limited to, inoperability due to insufcient battery power, communications failure or other systems and software issues. Bird keeps a record of all maintenance or repairs performed for each device to help spot trends and refne our maintenance and procedures. We also learn from our previous models to always improve the vehicle design. For example, during an all operator inspection of devices in 2019, the City of Santa Monica noticed warning bells were missing from most scooters. Bird listened, and in our future models, we integrated the bell into the vehicle design vs bolting it on after the fact.
Field Maintenance and Procedures Our in-market teams conduct daily feld inspections on foot and using cargo trikes. If a vehicle is in need of a quick repair (e.g., tightening a part) it is immediately conducted and recorded on the spot. Conducting feld maintenance reduces our operational vehicle miles traveled and minimizes a service disruption.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 71 Field Diagnosis Field Maintenance Actions
Local team scans Bird and puts it in “test ride” If in good working order: Vehicle is sanitized and mode, allowing them to validate key vehicle parked out of the public right-of-way, in functions, including: compliance with local rules and regulations. If in need of a minor repair: Local teams perform basic maintenance, including part tightening and brake adjustment, before sanitizing and reparking the vehicle. If in need of substantial repairs: Local teams mark the vehicle as damaged, remove it from the rider map, and transport it for service and repair.
Santa Monica Service Locations: Maintenance and Procedures Every vehicle that arrives at a local service location undergoes a full inspection, even if it is just there for charging. On average, vehicles visit a service location at least every three days and undergo this same rigorous process and sanitization exercise before being deployed to the feld.
Service Location Inspection Service Location Maintenance Actions
Mechanic scans vehicle and conducts a If in good working order: Vehicle proceeds through the multi-point inspection covering all parts of service location charging fow and undergoes a deep the vehicle, organized by: cleaning before redeployment. If in need of a repair: Mechanic marks the specifc issue and places the vehicle in the repair queue. Vehicles are repaired by trained mechanics, with each service logged in detail in the mechanic’s app. After service, the mechanic tests the vehicle again using our multi-point checklist. The service location’s supervising mechanic then inspects a fnal time before redeployment. All vehicles receive “Bird Bath” at the exit station to ensure they are clean and sanitized before returning to the feld.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 72 Los Angeles Regional Service Center Hub The layout of our regional service center hub exceeds the highest levels of health and safety guidelines and includes a designated space to separate and quarantine potentially malfunctioning batteries from other vehicles or personnel. We also use color coded lines painted on the foor to designate various working zones within the center, including charging, inspection, repair and cleaning areas. The center also features e-scooter charging stations that are free of extraneous wires and other unsafe electrical practices.
We have hosted LADOT at our regional service center hub and would be pleased to provide Santa Monica ofcials the opportunity to tour our facility.
Safety Equipment At the start of every shift, team members perform safety checks to ensure that they are wearing appropriate clothing: vests, non-slip, steel-toed work boots and glasses. Team members are required to wear proper safety gear at all times, including highly visible color-coded vests. ● Drivers - yellow vests.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 73 ● Mechanics - blue vests. ● Logistics specialists - orange vests. ● Quality control/inspection - green vests. ii. Broken devices identifcation and retrieval systems and/or procedures. Broken Device Identifcation Our team uses a number of inputs to identify and retrieve broken devices requiring maintenance including:
Channel Detail Frequency
Rider Feedback A rider fags an issue in the app, via social Every time a rider interacts channels or via the website. with a Bird.
Field Diagnosis A team member notices a maintenance or Daily. cosmetic issue when in the feld.
Service Location A Bird is found to have a maintenance need At least once a week. Inspection during our regular multi-point inspection.
Sophisticated Riders and other stakeholders can easily and 24/7. Customer Report immediately report equipment issues, including Monitoring broken devices. Instances can be reported through Bird’s one-of-a-kind Community Mode (in-app reporting feature), or through our customer support channels (including phone, email, chat and social media). Complaints are fagged within the system, and our team then follows our standard operating procedure to ensure the device is removed from the Bird app and retrieved within one hour.
Broken Device Retrieval Broken device retrieval processes include:
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 74 Concern Standard Resolution Time
Defcient/ Identifed and removed (if necessary) through the Made unavailable for rental Damaged Vehicle methods described on page 71. immediately and removed within 2 hours.
Unclean (COVID All on-the-ground teams sanitize our vehicles in the Hourly as staf contact Response) feld, during planned sweeps. On average, each feld vehicles in the feld. Vehicle staff sanitizes 60 vehicles daily.
Submerged Vehicles
Unclean (Standard Every time a Bird employee encounters a vehicle in Resolved in the feld within Response) the feld, they remove dirt or debris; clean all 5 minutes. Removed within surfaces and contact points; remove any tape or 2 hours, if needed. substances; make minor paint touch-ups or grafti removal as needed.
Minor Field Repair Minor repairs which can be addressed in the feld Repaired in the feld within: include: Replacing a kickstand, tightening the 5 minutes for kickstand; handlebars, and fxing minor cosmetic damage. 20 minutes for all others. Minor repairs requiring removal include: Changing a brake, changing an accelerator, and replacing a brain
Major Service Major repairs include: Changing tires, replacing the At least 1 repair completed Center Repair stem/neck, replacing the lights, major cosmetic per hour. Recycled within damage. If a vehicle cannot be repaired, it is 72 hours. recycled (see page 109). All operations staff complete recycling training during onboarding.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 75 iii. Charging Procedures
Safe Charging Procedures Our charging procedures dictate that charging can only take place in certifed service locations. Batteries are integrated into the vehicle, eliminating the risks associated with in-feld removal and replacement. We chose to prioritize safety over operational convenience, and designed our encased batteries to automatically disable in the event of any unauthorized handling. Our safe charging procedures include: ● Regular Inspections: Local service center leadership engage in regular quality assurance and compliance checks of the electrical capacity of buildings. Larger quarterly audits are carried out by our Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Supervisor. ● Building Safety: Operations leadership is always available on-site and is tasked with ensuring the electrical capacity of the building can handle the amount of charging taking place. ● Consulting with Exponent: To verify our practices are best in class, Bird partners with Exponent, the same leading Engineering and Scientifc Consulting frm used by Tesla, to advise on battery safety and technology.
Bird AI (see page 61) optimizes routes for feld teams on our two cargo trikes (we are adding four more to our feet in 2021) to collect low-charge scooters throughout the day, limiting the use of electric and natural gas vans to off-peak hours to minimize our impact on trafc congestion and to reduce our VMT (see page 106 for details on how Bird is limiting our operational VMT in Santa Monica). Once a battery dips to the scooter is disabled until collected. Bird Two holds a charge for up to miles and can sit idle for as long as days (per City of Santa Monica regulations, Bird actively rebalances any device within 48 hours if they don’t get a ride). Birds are transported to service locations or Playa Vista service center for charging. Locations are approved for charging by certifed electricians confrming space and ventilation to prevent the overheating of batteries and cables. Fleet Managers are provided with comprehensive training on safe charging practices before charging any vehicles.
Swappable Battery Pilot Current swappable e-scooter batteries have yet to prove themselves as a secure, environmentally friendly solution. According to a 2020 OECD International Transport Forum report, “swappable batteries can be targeted for theft and may be subject to a higher risk of damages related with their handling processes or water infltration.” Bird is seeking to address these issues by developing the industry’s frst -rated swappable battery with advanced encrypted protocols, moving the technology closer to providing the necessary level of protection to safely justify widespread adoption. With the City of Santa Monica’s permission, Bird will bring this new technology to Santa Monica via a limited pilot this summer.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 76 Charging Docks Bird is continuing to install and make use of Bird Feeders, charging stations that enable riders to dock and charge Birds throughout the community. These innovative parking stations reduce vehicle miles traveled for charging and improve operational sustainability while also offering organized parking areas. Bird has installed four Bird Feeders at the Colorado Center in Santa Monica.
Designed in-house by our experienced engineers, Bird Feeders are low-profle, ruggedized charging stations that plug into standard 110v outlets and can charge up to fve vehicles at a time. Feeders feature an advanced Battery Management System to ensure safe charging and will cut power to any e-scooter if it detects abnormalities in battery function. We plan to install these at local Santa Monica businesses and hotels throughout 2021. Bird is in discussions with the Fairmont Miramar, Hampton Inn and Community Corp of Santa Monica to install Bird Feeders on their properties.
Bird Feeders are more efcient and less visually intrusive than other larger charging stations currently on the market. Its minimalist, seamless design preserves public space by blending in with the city's aesthetics. Once installed, we geofence and mark each station in our in-app map via a charging symbol to help riders easily locate them. Riders can click on the symbol to view how many Birds are docked at each station.
Stronger Batteries with Extended Lives
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 77
teams of any changes in vehicle status that could jeopardize vehicle performance. Information we send to the backend from the battery include but are not limited to:
Humidity and thermal sensors power down the device in the event of abnormal conditions while anti-tampering sensors and proprietary frmware render the battery virtually unusable in the event of unauthorized removal. All of this data and these signals gives Bird’s team a clear, real-time picture of the overall system health of our vehicles performance and safety. This data also informs the design of future batteries. ● Prolonged Vehicle Lifespan: Manufacturing emissions account for about 80% of overall life-cycle emissions. The most crucial and proven option to lowering the industry’s collective carbon footprint is to prolong vehicle lifespan. Bird’s proprietary vehicles are the safest and offer the longest lifespan. Bird vehicles set the standard for longevity, offering the lowest EoL (End of Life) rate in the industry. The EoL rate for Bird Two is an incomparably low .00002 vehicles retired per year. Bird regularly manually inspects vehicles for damage, including the battery and its enclosure. If there is any sign of damage, we subject the vehicle to rigorous testing before redeployment. iv. Stafng plan, employee status (I.e. full time, part time, contracted, etc.), work schedule, and training. Bird Santa Monica Stafng Plan Our stafng plan for Santa Monica takes into account our unmatched experience operating in the market, the expanded feet size we anticipate operating, need to service all parts of the city and to deliver a reliable service/alternative to short car trips, and the resources required to safely and efciently deploy, rebalance, charge and maintain our proposed multimodal feet to the highest-standards.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 79 Bird continues to bring economic opportunities to our home city by employing local experienced technicians and providing rigorous and on-the-job training that is transferable to future job opportunities. We have worked closely with Chrysalis, Homeboy Industries and other community-based organization hiring programs to encourage direct employment of qualifed and economically disadvantaged residents in Santa Monica. This coming pilot program we plan to work with ReEvolution and The People Concern to continue helping our local community. Every technician completes 72 hours of annual training on new technology, skills and best practices. We also have monthly audits and pop-quizzes to ensure information is retained. Employees receive full pay and benefts during training hours. Bird maintains staffed operations at our Regional Service Center Hub. In addition to utilizing our current Santa Monica-based team, Bird will hire additional Fleet Managers (see page 83) to support our expanded operations and to help keep parking tidy in areas of high vehicle concentration. These efforts will bue supported by a central team located at our Santa Monica headquarters, and with tools and best practices honed over our operations in 130+ cities. Staff quantities and employment types include the following:
Santa Monica Operations Team/Los Angeles Regional Service Center
Team/Role(s) Responsibilities Employment Type Staff Quantities
Operations Oversee feld and service Full-time, in-house Leadership location teams. Ensure Bird (General Manager, meets the City’s KPIs and Operations oversee regulatory compliance. Associates) Liaise with local stakeholders and broader community. 24-hour contact for City staff for all questions and concerns related to deployment, charging, rebalancing and feet operations in the city.
Service Location Maintain, repair, clean and Full-time and part-time hired Team charge Birds at Playa Vista through local stafng service center. Provide support company and also in-house (maintenance, IT, backend support) to Fleet Managers during service center drop-in hours.
Bird Ambassadors Bird Ambassadors patrol the Full-time, in-house service area and remediate issues, such as improper parking and device overcentration. Also sanitize vehicles while in the feld.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 80 Engagement Manages all Fleet Managers. Full-time, in-house Manager 24-hour point of contact for Fleet Managers. Ensures Fleet Manager compliance with local rules and regulations. Sets City KPIs and SLAs and schedules regular check-ins with Fleet Managers to track progress.
Fleet Managers Provide logistics services for a Third-party logistic providers feet of Birds, including deploying, rebalancing and collecting devices for charging, maintenance or repairs.
Customer Service Collect and help remediate Full-time, in-House. (Central Bird Team) requests from riders or the public.
Work Schedule
Each team member works shifts in accordance with local labor laws, and we organize the stafng schedule such that someone on the team is always available for issue resolution and remediation. Our Santa Monica staff mechanics work 40 hours per week Monday through Saturday. Our eight Santa Monica Fleet Managers all maintain teams to support 24-hour operations of our active feet management cycle, seven
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 81 days a week.
“As one of the largest LA-based companies, Bird’s decision to join PledgeLA refects how a prominent brand can leverage their scale to become a regional leader in this work. We have a long way to go as a community, but Bird, along with our other signatories from LA’s tech and venture capital sectors, are working proactively to ensure our city is a place of opportunity for people from all backgrounds.”
Cinny Kennard, Executive Director at the Annenberg Foundation (January, 2020)
Employee Training Procedures A central part of our approach to the maintenance, cleaning and repair of our vehicles is a robust staf training program. Once hired, we provide employees with extensive training and professional development support, equipping them with transferable skills that enable future careers in technology and alternative transportation. We also ofer opportunities for career advancement within the company, many of our mechanics have been promoted to a service center lead, service center associate, sr. service center associate, or even market manager. We train every service center employee to handle electronic waste safely and responsibly by using a structured protocol that includes equipment inspection, storage and separation of damaged batteries from other vehicles and personnel. We require every service center team member to complete of paid annual training on new technology, skills and best practices. Our maintenance
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 82 personnel receive training on an ongoing basis to ensure that they retain a high level of competence in the various functions, capabilities and repair needs of each Bird model in the market. ● Safety Training: All Bird mechanics undergo thorough safety onboarding, overseen by our warehouse managers. In turn, warehouse managers undergo additional training, including training specifcally for handling batteries, frst aid, fre safety, and leading evacuations. All employees adhere to structured protocols with regard to: equipment, inspection, storage, and separation of damaged batteries. ●
● Hands-On Training: We complement online training with hands-on mentorship. Our senior mechanics inspect and validate every repair, and suggest areas for improvement when warranted. Every Bird repair is inspected by at least two Bird mechanics before a vehicle is redeployed, and each repair is logged and linked with that vehicle’s unique profle. ● Knowledge Sharing: On the front lines of our business, Bird’s service centers are important places of innovation and learning for the company. Our training platform has FAQs and chat features that allow our mechanics to share learnings across service centers, ask questions and provide feedback to our teams at headquarters. We also use the platform to distribute resources following the release of a new scooter model, or to surface new best practices for vehicle maintenance. ● Random Inspections: Local service center leadership engage in regular quality assurance and compliance checks, performed at random, of the electrical capacity of building and ensuring compliance. We perform larger audits, carried out by our Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Supervisor, on a quarterly basis. Required experience for EHS supervisors includes 5-8 years demonstrated experience in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear disaster preparedness in addition to environmental health and safety. ● Best Practices: We train our local team on best practices and protocols, implementing backup plans and visual reminders to ensure safety compliance. At least one member of our local operations leadership is always available on-site and is tasked with ensuring that the electrical capacity of the building can handle the amount of charging that takes place at any given time. ● Emergency Protocols: We equip our service center with safety equipment and detailed procedures in the unlikely event of an emergency. Service center procedures require daily checks of all safety equipment by warehouse managers, with regular inspections by the local Environmental Health and Safety Department. All service centers have evacuation procedures and maps. We perform regular drills, at random, to ensure proper procedures are followed.
Santa Monica Fleet Management Program In response to the efects of COVID-19 on the economy, Bird spent spring of 2020 working closely with City ofcials and local stakeholders to determine how we could help restart impacted communities around the world. With support and guidance from cities, local entrepreneurs and small-business owners across the U.S., we developed the Bird Fleet Management program. The program provides local economic opportunity while also providing cities with bespoke block by block operational expertise, care and consideration.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 83 In Santa Monica, Bird currently works with eight Fleet Managers, which are locally owned and operated businesses and entrepreneurs. We identify and recruit our Fleet Managers (third-party logistics providers) directly from the community, and only execute contracts with applicants who are able to successfully demonstrate the ability to manage a portion of our feet. Our Fleet Managers are known in their communities as forces for good, with reputations for hiring locally and going the extra mile to serve their neighbors. When we contract with a Fleet Manager, Bird commits to providing long-term support and resources as well as initial guidance on operational setup and mandatory training. The Fleet Management program, which complements our in-house staf and operations, utilizes a revenue-sharing model, with Fleet Managers earning a percentage of revenue on each ride taken via the Bird vehicles they manage and by meeting city operational requirements. Fleet Managers are incentivized to provide safe and efcient operations in order to maximize rides and increase their overall revenue share. Our current Santa Monica Fleet Managers make an average of annually. Bird ultimately remains the responsible permit holder to the City of Santa Monica, complying with the administrative regulations and meeting the insurance/indemnifcation responsibilities. This operational business model has been active in Santa Monica for one year, and there have been no operational issues. There was an email sent to the Bird team (Kate and Tim) on December 28th, 2020 about a deployment on Appian Way where City staf asked us to not deploy in the area, and our Fleet Managers complied.
Identifying and Recruiting Santa Monica’s Field Operations Team: Fleet Managers We recruit directly from the community, focusing on providing opportunities to small, locally owned businesses and entrepreneurs impacted by COVID-19. Before partnering with a prospective Fleet Manager, they undergo rigorous vetting to ensure they meet and exceed our standards for operational excellence. When searching for local partners, we assess candidates based on the following criteria: ● Must be a trusted member of the local community with strong references. ● Must prioritize more long-term stafng arrangements with opportunities for advancement as opposed to short-term, temporary work and pay a real living wage. ● Commitment to provide the safest and most reliable service. ● Commitment to hiring locally. ● Commitment to developing or expanding any existing diversity and inclusivity policies in recruitment and retention. ● Existing local infrastructure (e.g., warehouse facility or other work space with ample charging and storage) certifed for safe use by local workplace safety standards. ● Commitment to use renewable energy to charge vehicles. ● Commitment to use zero-emission vehicles for deployment, rebalancing and collection as often as possible . Ex: Personal Bird e-scooter or Bird rebalancing trike. ● Experience managing logistics or operations, with a strong preference for shared micromobility. ● Certifed Woman or Minority-owned Business. We only partner with Fleet Managers if they demonstrate real commitment to running a sustainable and city-friendly operation, and to ensure the highest safety and quality standards for Bird, the community and,
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 84 most importantly, our riders. In fact, many of our Fleet Managers were previously involved in operations, and therefore are familiar with our devices and systems. As we grow our feet, we will continue conversations with workforce development organizations such as Chrysalis, PVJobs, Homeboy Industries, and U.S. Vets to ensure our team refects the communities we serve. During the initial engagement process, we inform candidates of Santa Monica’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) they will be required to meet in order to remain in partnership with Bird. Since October 2020, we only allow the most experienced Fleet Managers who have consistently operated and exceeded KPIs in Los Angeles or Long Beach to operate in Santa Monica. Since making this change, we’ve eliminated past performance issues such as not prioritizing sustainable operations. Since launching the Fleet Management program in spring 2020, we have engaged in more than 500 successful local feet management partnerships. Examples include: Santa Monica, CA: Anelice and Edward Castillo, also known as Jaysc Corporation, are a local LA couple that manages over 200 of our scooters in Santa Monica. Prior to working as Fleet Managers, Edward was in the construction industry and charged scooters for Bird on the side. Anelice was a stay-at-home mom who would spend her evenings charging scooters. When the Fleet Manager program launched, they were eager to get involved and establish their own small business. Anelice and Edward’s goal was to work independently to improve their quality of life as well as hire their own team. Since beginning the Fleet Manager program in late April 2020, Anelice and Edward have taken home over in earnings. Today, the couple is amongst our top fve performers in the LA region and have employed eight members of the community to work for them on a daily basis. Through the Fleet Manager program, they were able to make their dream of operating a small family business come to fruition. San Francisco, CA: Blazing Saddles, a locally owned bicycle shop in the Bay Area offering rentals and tours to locals and visitors, manages a portion of Bird’s 1,000-vehicle feet in San Francisco, charging, deploying, rebalancing and storing vehicles along with their bicycles. Blazing Saddles draws on their expertise with maintenance and repairs to ensure a well-maintained and sanitized Bird feet, particularly during this time of increased safety concern. This partnership has provided Blazing Saddles more than in revenue, allowing them to maintain hours for their employees and keep their doors open during the pandemic. Washington, D.C.: Chris Parler, owner of EatWellDC, a farm-to-table restaurant focused on building a community gathering place where neighbors can enjoy sustainable ingredients from local farmers and producers, is one of Bird’s logistics partners. When EatWellDC was fnancially impacted by the dramatic effects of COVID-19, Chris turned to Bird to augment his income, keep his business open, and keep his employees at work. The additional revenue from the partnership has helped EatWellDC keep their doors open, allowing a dozen more employees to return to work. Memphis, TN and Nashville, TN: In Memphis and Nashville, we’re engaging with two organizations, Lifeline to Success and Project Return, focused on connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with essential employment opportunities. Bird is collaborating with these two groups to support people returning to the community after incarceration and provide tools and resources to help eliminate the negative stigmas associated with a criminal record during the hiring process. We work directly with the organizations to maintain high levels of responsiveness and service.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 85 Staff and Fleet Manager Onboarding and Beyond Before onboarding, Fleet Managers agree to the Fleet Manager Program Charter which clearly establishes contractual KPIs and SLAs aligned with local regulations, applicable laws, and metrics related to operational excellence, maintenance, charging, and deployments. As a global company driven by our local teams, we customize each Program Charter to meet the unique structure of each city e-scooter program. Fleet Managers then undergo mandatory in-person, one-on-one training with our local leadership team and with our Service Center Associate. In-depth and granular training modules cover a review of the app, backend software, processes and equipment, maintenance procedures, sanitization protocols and best practices for deployment and charging. Sessions include thorough, Bird-specifc trainings with our qualifed mechanics and must be completed before conducting any vehicle repairs. We also implement a Co-Pilot shadowing program pairing new recruits with our most experienced Fleet Managers for two full active management cycles. Upon training completion, the local team audits repair quality to ensure vehicles are properly repaired. In addition to hands-on instruction and weekly Ofce Hours provided by our local service center mechanics, Fleet Managers have access to a large library of digital resources, through which they can fnd additional training, demos, step-by-step guides, tutorials, chat boards and answers to FAQs. Bird also regularly ofers virtual Masterclasses, providing deep dives into specifc subject areas, such as the proper process for submerged vehicle recoveries and mastering rebalancing techniques, for small groups of Fleet Managers and individualized support to optimize their feet and maintain operations at the highest standards. Finally, senior Bird mechanics conduct regular monthly visits to the Fleet Managers’ location to consult on difcult repairs and review best practices.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 86 “I’ve been a Fleet Manager for a year in the City of Santa Monica. I attend Santa Monica College and became a Fleet Manager right after high school. The Fleet Manager program has helped me and taught me a lot of things. It has expanded my knowledge in how the real world is. I’m thankful for the opportunity from Bird to be working during the pandemic and be able to pay bills, and classes for school, and also to be learning how to invest the money into my business and be able to work efciently. Thanks to the Fleet Manager program. I’ve also been able to hire workers so that they can also take some money to their family during these hard moments.” Kevin Hernandez, Santa Monica Fleet Manager
Our focus ensures resources for our Fleet Managers are available in as many formats as possible to suit diverse learning styles and languages. Training resources are multilingual and include both digital and physical, written and video, and all ADA accessible. We also provide periodic “pop-quizzes” to ensure knowledge is learned and retained in trainings.
Fleet Management Success
Bird Engagement Managers work closely with Fleet Managers to ensure all programmatic expectations, City KPIs and SLAs are exceeded, such as the percent of Birds on the public right-of-way that are in a rideable state (charged and undamaged) and the time to collect a damaged Bird or a Bird from a no-ride-area. Bird has regular bi-weekly meetings with Kyle Kozar, Senior Transportation Planner to discuss
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 87 the program and receive any feedback on how to improve operations in the community and to reach more people. We measure success based on internal metrics including: safe and well-maintained feets and vehicle repairs, vehicle utilization, deployments and vehicle uptime, and positive engagements within the community. v. Maintenance and device cleaning procedures during times of environmental, economic, or man-made emergencies.
Bird's maintenance procedures are rigorous and consistent with our primary focus on safety. In times of emergency, Bird maintains our high level of maintenance and adds additional safety measures to match any type of emergency situation. Bird will never compromise our high-quality standards. During times of environmental, economic or man-made emergencies, our sanitization protocols may change. Please see below for our adapted COVID-19 device removal procedures and sanitization process.
Concern Standard Resolution Time
Removal of All on-the-ground teams sanitize our vehicles in the feld, during planned Identify any Unclean sweeps. On average, each feld staff sanitizes 60 vehicles daily. If vehicles which may (COVID possible COVID contamination occurs, we pause service immediately have been Response) and alert local public health authorities. All impacted team members impacted within undergo rapid viral testing at Bird’s expense. We review the most recent one hour. operations log to isolate possible contamination. Cleared team members collect and thoroughly sanitize the entire feet in strict adherence with local guidelines. We do not redeploy the feet until all We can remove team members are cleared, authorities complete contact tracing over 600 vehicles procedures as needed and our local EHS supervisor approves the feet in 24 hours. for deployment.
Unclean Every time a Bird employee interacts with a vehicle in the feld, they Resolved in the (Standard remove dirt or debris, clean all surfaces and contact points, remove any feld within fve Response) tape or substances; make minor paint touch-ups, or remove grafti as minutes. Removed needed. within two hours, if needed.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 88 Enhanced Sanitization Process Bird’s multi-point sanitization protocol ensures the entire e-scooter is disinfected using only Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved cleaning agents. This process is based on CDC guidelines and features a number of best practices designed to protect the safety of both our team and our riders, including disinfecting all workstation surfaces before and after sanitizing each vehicle, and the use of safety glasses and nitrile gloves.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 89 5. SYSTEM BALANCING & REDISTRIBUTION: Briefly describe your plan for achieving citywide device coverage and daily balancing among the defined deployment zones, and avoiding obstructions, hazards, or problem devices in the public right-of-way.
Bird has a responsibility to help maintain safe and accessible streets in Santa Monica. Designed specifcally to support the management of large dockless micromobility feets, our advanced Bird AI system uses machine learning and predictive modeling to accurately determine deployment needs to ensure citywide device coverage and daily rebalancing among defned deployment zones. Having continuously operated in Santa Monica for nearly four years, we have billions of data points to help inform our operations. Using this system, our operations teams deploy vehicles across the network throughout the day. In addition to our Fleet Managers, we also have an on-the-ground team of Bird Ambassadors who work seven days a week in Santa Monica rebalancing Birds to ensure equitable distribution and to protect the pedestrian right-of-way, ensuring Birds are ADA compliant and not blocking sidewalks or creating obstructions in the public right-of-way. During the pandemic, we have also proactively adjusted deployment locations to support access to critical services such as healthcare and grocery stores. Based on ride data, this operational shift was highly efective and our vehicles were widely utilized in these areas. For example, we saw a increase in rides starting and ending near local Santa Monica grocery stores and restaurants during the month of April 2020. Additionally, we saw a increase of rides starting and ending in the Mid-City neighborhood near hospitals when we launched our Free Rides for Essential Workers program. Additionally, we deploy and rebalance our vehicles to ensure riders have vehicles available to make their frst and last mile trips. For example pre-pandemic, we deploy vehicles at 17th Street Expo Station in the morning. In the afternoon, we rebalance vehicles to Santa Monica College, to ensure we are providing frst/last mile service. Whether deploying, rebalancing or collecting vehicles, our teams follow an Operational Code of Conduct that is tailored to each city, included in Appendix 10. These documents outline local rules and laws, and provide best practices for how to safely carry out their daily duties, engage with the community, and minimize any adverse impacts of our operations such as contributing to trafc congestion or blocking ADA access and bike lanes. Bird also provides mandatory training on the Operational Code of Conduct, which takes place both in-person and using Dozuki (see page 83). As part of this training, team members are directed to be cognizant and ensure they follow all local laws and regulations when using vehicles to load and unload Birds into approved parking locations. This includes detailing important areas to avoid parking, such as: ● Double parking ● On or blocking ADA ramps ● Blocking bike lanes, bus stops or crosswalks We also implement pop-quizzes to test knowledge of local compliance requirements. Additionally, we host regular round tables with our teams to discuss any issues that have been fagged to us by the city, and they also provide trends they see on their day to day routines. For example, in March, our team fagged that a city employee asked us to move the scooters across the street when they saw them deploying on Colorado between Ocean and Second. We took the feedback and adjusted Bird AI to move location for future deployments.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 90 Our intent and commitment to sustainability governs every aspect of our business, including reducing the operational environmental impacts when conducting system balancing and redistribution. When it comes to the impact associated with our day-to-day operations, the surest way to reduce operational emissions is through sound vehicle design. We custom design our vehicles to last 60 days or 35 miles on a single charge and resist tipping and damage, such that they can stay on the road longer with less need for us to move or repair them. In Santa Monica, Bird has also set a rigorous goal of limiting operational vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to half a mile per 100 Bird miles traveled. We also prioritize the use of electric vehicles and cargo trikes to collect and distribute our devices. See page 102 for more information on our green operations plan. a. Do you agree to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.5 of the Administrative Regulations?
Yes, Bird agrees to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.5 of the Administrative Regulations. Bird will continue to distribute devices and maintain daily relocation of devices among the identifed eight (8) deployment zones to ensure equitable access to all neighborhoods throughout the city and to limit occurrences of device over saturation in congested areas. Bird will also continue to secure approval from private property owners for all use of private property and acknowledges responsibility for resolving all shared mobility device issues with private property owners. A list of use of private property approvals, including private property owner contact information, will be provided to the City upon request. We know consistent and reliable access is important for the residents of Santa Monica. We ensure this by setting minimum and maximum device counts in each neighborhood, which makes it easy to identify which neighborhoods are undersupplied. Bird AI will not allow our teams to release devices if the threshold has been met. Bird maintains devices in each deployment zone according to the table below:
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 91 Zone Number Zone Name DAA Target
1 San Vicente West 10%
2 San Vicente East 2%
3 Downtown 30%
4 Mid Wilshire 12%
5 Wilshire East 8%
6 Pico 14%
7 Ocean Park 14%
8 Sunset Park 10%
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 92 Parking Standards for Deployment Bird’s local market team adheres to the following parking standards during deployment, system balancing and redistribution: ● Devices must be upright when deployed, or parked by a user (see page 166 for information on parking education). ● Devices must be deployed in designated drop zone areas or on the part of the sidewalk adjacent to the roadway curb (so long as 48 inches of pedestrian-clear zone is maintained), at a public bike rack, or other locations consistent with the local laws and regulations. ● Devices must not be deployed within 18 inches from the face of the curb. ● Devices must not be deployed within: Ocean Front Walk, the beach or beach bike path, beach parking lots, Third Street Promenade, the Pier or Pier Bridge, public parks, and the waiting, loading and unloading areas of transit stops. ● Unless at a bike rack or designated location, devices should not be parked by users on, or within: Ocean Front Walk, the beach or beach bike path, beach parking lots, public parking facilities, Third
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 93 Street Promenade, the Pier or Pier Bridge, Palisades Park, public parks or the waiting, loading and unloading areas of transit stops. ● Devices must not be deployed in a manner that violates ADA accessibility requirements or impedes ADA access, including blocking crosswalks or crosswalk activation buttons. ● No device shall be parked in one location for more than 48 hours. ● Any device that is parked incorrectly shall be re-parked or removed by the operator within one hour of receiving notice between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. ● Devices must not be deployed within 48 inches of parking meters. ● Devices must not be deployed within 36 inches of fre hydrants. ● Devices must not be deployed on the sidewalk adjacent to passenger loading zones (white curb), or commercial loading zones (yellow curb). ● Devices must not be deployed on sidewalks or streets with more than a 5% grade incline. ● Devices must not be deployed in groups with a combined length of greater than 15 feet, when immediately adjacent to one another. At least 20 feet must be left clear of device groupings along the same block face.
b. What unique strategies are you offering to ensure that devices remain evenly balanced and organized in the public right-of-way, and do not create obstructions or hazards in compliance with the Administrative Regulations? Why are your strategies effective? This could include but is not limited to:
Bird employs a number of unique strategies to ensure devices remain evenly balanced, organized, and do not pose a threat to pedestrian safety. From advanced technology like Bird AI’s proprietary machine-learning algorithm that predicts rebalancing needs to our highly trained Bird Ambassadors that proactively correct
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 94 misparked devices, we built each solution based on our experience serving Santa Monica. Developed and designed in Bird’s hometown, these are proven strategies tried and tested on our city’s streets. i. The schedule, frequency and procedures for rebalancing
Bird AI’s various inputs (GPS, vehicle sensors, end-of-ride photos, Bird feld team reports, and feedback from nine customer service channels) allow us to monitor the precise location of each device in our global feet and identify poor parking immediately. When alerted to such an event, the system automatically dispatches the closest Bird Ambassador to move the vehicle to the nearest parking area, ensuring it is fully upright, within 30 minutes. Bird AI also tracks the movements of every Bird in the city. We observe areas where inappropriate parking is likely to occur and proactively dispatch Bird Ambassadors to patrol those areas. Trends detected through end-of-ride photos, reports from our on-the-ground teams and any other channel helps us adjust our service to add more safeguards and enforcement tools to problem areas, to address incorrectly parked vehicles, complaints, or vehicles that are out of service.
Locations Method Schedule/Frequency
Pedestrian-heavy areas or areas Cargo trikes Optimized for heavy clutter days, inaccessible to cars generally later in the week and weekends
Dense downtown core areas On foot, cargo trikes Several times per day, with the schedule adjusting proactively based on outputs from Bird AI
Less dense areas E-vans Couple times per day, with the schedule adjusting proactively based on outputs from Bird AI
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 95 Bird Ambassadors In Santa Monica, our local street team, Bird Ambassadors, will be on the ground between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily to address feld conditions including, but not limited to, inappropriate parking, excessive sidewalk clutter, knocked-over devices, unsafe conditions, and blocked passageways. Bird Ambassadors work in shifts between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and each Bird Ambassador is designated a specifc portion of the city for which they are responsible. For example, in Santa Monica we have Bird Ambassadors regularly patrol high tourism areas such as Ocean Ave., Appian Way and Barnard Way In addition to proactively correcting misparked devices and relocating Birds from over-concentrated areas, Bird Ambassadors respond to devices fagged through our customer service channels (see page 184) and alerts from our operations management system, Bird AI (see page 61). For example, if the system detects a cluster of vehicles that could create an obstruction, Bird AI will immediately dispatch a Bird Ambassador via the feld operations app. On March 5, we received an email from City staf asking to rebalance vehicles that a resident had complained about on Montana Ave. Bird AI alerted our closest Bird team member, and he rode over via his personal Bird e-scooter and rebalanced the scooters all within 17 minutes of City notifcation, with follow-up pictures sent to City staf. As trends emerge, we adjust patrol routes to anticipate when and where improper parking might occur, reducing our response time and ensuring that we prevent or address it immediately. For example, in June 2020, when the City of Santa Monica rolled out the Al Fresco - Vibrant Main Street Corridor Project to facilitate more outdoor dining opportunities, our system detected an increased number of rides ending along Main Street and as a result we rapidly ramped up our patrols in that area. An important focus of our Bird Ambassadors is maintaining ADA accessibility. We provide and require sensitivity training for all Bird Ambassadors to ensure they understand the concerns of individuals with disabilities. Training includes common safety concerns, explanations of how people with disabilities interact with city infrastructure, for example how to rebalance scooters on corners in a manner that guarantees a wide-turning radius for wheelchair users. Bird Ambassadors assist Fleet Managers during large crowded weekends or events, such as Memorial Day Weekend and Santa Monica Pier events, to ensure top compliance.
Community Rebalancing If we detect an improperly parked vehicle, Bird highlights the vehicle in the app and ofers riders a fnancial incentive to re-park the vehicle. In Santa Monica, we have paid out nearly $1,500 in ride credits to riders who have successfully used this feature. By initiating Community Rebalancing before we trigger a response from our Bird Ambassadors, we reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and operational emissions. Eligible Dockless Scooters are highlighted in the in-app map using the “$” symbol. If after 10 minutes, a ride is not initiated, we dispatch the closest Bird Ambassador (either on foot or using a cargo trike or other low-emission vehicle) to address the issue.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 96 Multi-Operator Operations Around the world, we lead collaborative eforts to patrol and maintain the service area in partnership with other operators. In Santa Monica, Bird has opened lines of communication between Bird’s local teams and other operators in the Los Angeles area to discuss opportunities to launch a joint patrol to respond to issues. Examples of demonstrated success working with other operators include joint rebalancing and submerged vehicle retrieval patrols in Marseille, France; joint safety and educational marketing in Krakow, Poland and Lisbon Portugal; and special-event coordination the Superbowl, the World Series and large music festivals, and operator roundtables in Austin, TX, Miami and Tampa, FL. Compliance Bounty While Community Rebalancing encourages riders to rebalance improperly parked vehicles that do not pose a threat to pedestrian safety or violate geofences, Compliance Bounties help remediate more urgent concerns. For example, in Rome Compliance Bounties, sent to our team and the local police, help rapidly redress concerns in highly sensitive no-parking zones such as the Pantheon or Vatican. In Santa Monica, we can similarly whitelist neighborhood organizations and other groups to receive Compliance Bounty alerts if desired. For example, in Santa Monica we used this feature to help rebalance vehicles during the LA Marathon in 2019 away from the fnish line to avoid overcrowding and clutter. Analyzing Trends and Adjusting Service We work closely with representatives from advocacy organizations around the world to ensure our protocols for keeping paths of travel accessible for all community members are rooted in local understanding and community engagement. Bird AI logs every report to identify trends in order to tailor local operations on a block-by-block, day-by-day basis. Bird is committed to minimizing vehicle trips and impacts on the
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 97 right-of-way associated with our rebalancing eforts. As part of these eforts, we employ a number of unique and tailored operational strategies, as detailed below.
Impact
Solution Details Minimizing Minimizing Impacts on the Vehicle Miles Right-of-Way Traveled
Fleet Manager Bird promotes responsible shared use of the Compliance street through our in-depth Fleet Manager training, emphasizing maintaining ADA access, mitigating implicit bias, and respecting the community. Impact: Bird educates and trains all Fleet Managers on how to safely and legally park their vehicles when retrieving scooters for recharging, rebalancing, or maintenance. For more information, please see page 82.
Rebalancing and Bird uses cargo trikes for our deployment and Clustering with rebalancing operations. Cargo Trikes Impact: Using the trikes to move low-battery e-scooters to designated clusters, outside of more congested areas, to reduce trafc and limit operational miles driven.
Utilizing Our operations platform uses machine learning Off-Peak Hours and predictive modeling to determine daily deployment needs across our service area. Impact: We use this information to proactively deploy our e-scooters each morning during of-peak hours, limiting trafc congestion.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 98 Enforcing Safe We require consistent and continuous training Parking to ensure our Fleet Managers use best Practices During practices when retrieving and rebalancing Operations devices, including no double parking or blocking of ADA access. Impact: Utilizing this software helps Bird mitigate the negative impacts of our operations on the right-of-way.
Field Mechanics Bird’s local market team performs basic maintenance in the feld. Impact: This avoids the need to transport vehicles to a local service location for minor repairs.
ii. Stafng plan, employee status (I.e. full time, part time, contracted, etc.), work schedule, and training
As described in full on page 80, our stafng plan for Santa Monica is refective of our unmatched experience and learnings operating in the market, the expanded and diversifed feet size we anticipate operating, the size of the service area, and the resources required to safely and efciently deploy, rebalance, charge and maintain our proposed feet to the highest-standards.
iii. Compliant response, resolution and Tracking
Bird investigates all complaints and provides the outcome to the individual who fled the complaint. When Bird receives a complaint through our various multi-lingual, 24/7 customer service channels (page 184), our customer service team leads the response using the following process: Classify and Track: A trained customer service representative (CSR) creates a ticket in our internal tracking tool, Zendesk, categorizing the complaint and listing relevant details. If needed, they collect additional details from the submitter to more clearly understand the issue. Route and Resolve: The CSR refers the issue to the relevant team for resolution. For example, they coordinate with the local operations team for a tipped or improperly parked scooter. When the issue is resolved, the CSR sends a notifcation (digital or by phone) to the individual who reported the issue, after which the CSR closes the ticket. All resolved complaints are stored via Zendesk for reporting purposes. Educate: In cases where rider behavior is an issue, such as unsafe riding or parking, a CSR sends the rider educational materials relevant to their behavior (e.g., an in-app banner notifcation and/or an email on parking etiquette). Such behavior can also result in fnes, or even account terminations when warranted as described in page 124.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 99 Serious Complaints: Certain issues require additional attention and resources and are escalated to Bird’s Trust and Safety team, which handles injury reports, property damage alerts, law enforcement requests and complicated support issues. We follow specifc protocols and, if necessary, the Trust and Safety team escalates incidents to the relevant local authorities. Bird maintains a database containing all public complaints and comments related to unacceptable user behavior (e.g., sidewalk riding), including those in the preceding provision, and track case status through complaint resolution. Santa Monica is one of Bird’s safest markets. Bird receives an incident that required medical treatment in Santa Monica on 0.00235% of rides vs. 0.00275% in the rest of the U.S. iv. Device issue notifcation and resolution technologies
Bird identifes parking (rebalancing), safety and maintenance issues through several channels, including on-scooter alerts from the devices’ continuous self-reporting damage sensors, daily feld and weekly service location inspections, and community reports. When an issue is identifed, our system automatically and remotely locks the device, removes it from the in-app map, and fags it for further inspection and/or retrieval by our local team. On average, the time from frst notifcation to retrieval is 15 minutes, and no longer than one hour. Basic maintenance, including part tightening and brake adjustment, is conducted in the feld with feld teams. Devices requiring more advanced repairs (e.g., routine brake replacement) are transported to local service locations for further attention. v. Device hardware
All Bird devices are equipped with anti-tip sensors, gyroscopes and radar devices to prevent obstructions within public spaces. Please see page 39 for more information. vi. In-app notifcations or parking/ redistribution incentives
Bird will use the following structure for parking/redistribution incentives. We are constantly working to increase user awareness of safe and legal behaviors for operating vehicles, and we continuously refne our products, technologies and services to deliver better experiences and outcomes for the City of Santa Monica, its residents and visitors.
Solution Details Notifcation, Penalty or Incentive
Smart Parking In-app Smart Parking notifcations remind riders of appropriate Notifcations behavior and incentives help reward responsible riders who and Incentive park respectfully in designated areas.
End-of-Ride Bird riders are required to submit photo evidence that their Notifcation
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 100 Photos e-scooter was properly parked, encouraging safe and orderly and Incentive parking practices.
Parking Rating Bird provides riders feedback about parking behavior based on Notifcation System their historical parking patterns and end-of-ride photos, and we and Incentive can offer credits or discounts based on good behavior.
Quizzes Bird sends interactive quizzes on safe parking and riding Notifcations behavior and offers rewards for high scores. And Incentive
Community Mode Bird will fne riders for violations reported through community Incentives and mode. Fines range from $1 to $25, increasing in escalation Penalties until rider behavior improves. Bird also provides ride credits to those who make reports through community mode.
Community Community Rebalancing rewards riders with ride credits ranging Incentive Rebalancing from $1 to $5 for ending trips in designated parking spots. This in-app feature helps keep streets orderly while enabling Bird to reduce our operational VMT.
Compliance Compliance Bounties help rapidly redress concerns in highly Incentive Bounty sensitive no-parking zones, such as Ocean Ave or near the 3rd Street Promenade, as well as during special events. For example, we used this feature during the 2019 LA Marathon to help rebalance devices away from the fnish line to avoid overcrowding and clutter.
Fines Bird can partner with the City to impose a fee to disincentivize Penalty riders from leaving e-scooters outside of Preferred Parking spaces. Fees range from $10 up to the cost of any parking ticket or impound fees. We verify fnes through GPS and end-of-ride photos.
Banners We display in-app banners to alert riders to special events, Notifcations changes in service, no-parking/no-ride zones, nearby parking locations, Bird Pay partner businesses, and in-app promotions.
Emails We send riders emails regarding changes in service, Notifcations promotions, special events and on-going education on proper parking and riding protocols.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 101 6. OPERATIONS SUSTAINABILITY: Briefly describe your plan for maximizing the sustainability of your system and operations.
“Operators must be intentional to ensure shared micromobility has a positive climate impact. More precisely, the urgency of the climate crisis implores all operators to take action to reduce life-cycle emissions. This is why we are pleased to work with Bird to make an active contribution to carbon neutrality in a way that is rigorous and transparent.”
Renaud Bettin, Manager of the Neutrality Practice, Carbone 4
Company-Wide Sustainability: Bird Powers City Climate Goals Bird is founded on the belief that safer streets for all begin with reducing carbon emissions and improving the quality of the air we breathe—a guiding principle that is fully aligned with Santa Monica’s Climate Action Plan to reduce emissions by 80% by 2030. In this efort, however, we know that eliminating car trips is not enough. That’s why we are working to curb our climate impact by dramatically reducing vehicle manufacturing emissions, implementing the cleanest on-the-ground operations, and avoiding GHGs in the daily operations of our global business. Climate Neutral Transportation Option: Bird is proud to be a climate neutral company globally. Our mission is to make cities more livable by reducing trafc, car trips and carbon emissions, and we take our entire life cycle into consideration to make this mission to come to life responsibly. Signatory of the United Nations Global Compact: Bird is proud to be the frst and currently only accepted micromobility signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, a worldwide initiative encouraging companies to “align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.” A GREEN LIFE CYCLE Measuring our climate impact is critically important. That’s why we partner with Climate Neutral to create emissions estimates from our full operating life cycle, including manufacturing and HQ. Avoiding and Reducing Our Emissions We take the following actions to ensure that we avoid and reduce our carbon emissions whenever possible: ● Partnering with local utility companies to purchase green energy for charging our feet ● Using e-vans and cargo trikes for collecting and redistributing our feet ● Reducing carbon-intensive transport for employees, including remote work strategies ● Ensuring compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations ● Repurposing or recycling remaining parts with partners like Landbell Group
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 102 ● Testing innovative battery solutions, both integrated and swappable ● Ship vehicles by rail or sea from our manufacturing facility to reduce emissions/carbon footprint Offsetting for a Positive Legacy We partner with 3 Degrees to ofset our emissions and follow Schneider’s six commitments for policy innovation: ● Act for a climate positive world ● Be efcient with resources ● Live up to our principles of trust ● Create equal opportunities ● Harness the power of all generations ● Empower local communities
Bird’s Eco Fleet Sustainability and carbon neutrality are built directly into the design and engineering of our vehicles. Unlike other operators, we do not purchase vehicles from third-party manufacturers. Instead, our in-house team of vehicle experts design each Bird model to be the longest lasting and most sustainable in the industry. We do this by: ● Focusing on durability and battery life. Because we design and engineer our vehicles in-house, we can thoroughly test and innovate on new battery forms.
● Second life applications and materials recycling. Roughly of our aluminum and other metals used in manufacturing come from recycled materials. We are negotiating with our suppliers to increase the amount of post-consumer content, in particular, aluminum and battery materials. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals components achieve a recycling rate above whereas e-waste components achieve a recycling rate of Bird’s preferred local recycling plants are certifed.
Bird helps cities reach their environmental goals ● Displacing car trips. By helping communities build sustainable transportation habits, we are reducing the amount of carbon emissions and trafc congestion in cities across the globe. In Santa Monica, nearly half (49%) of shared mobility trips replaced trips that would have otherwise been made by car, either driving alone or ride-hailing according to the City’s 2019 summary report.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 103 ● Using data to inform sustainable infrastructure. We analyze our data to understand how and where people use Birds to get around, and use these insights to advocate for protected bike lane infrastructure to make sustainable transportation safer for everyone. In Santa Monica, Bird ride data was used to help inform the City’s update to the 2011 Bike Action Plan last October.
Within six months of launch, Bird will submit a life cycle analysis (LCA) for all approved devices, including but not limited to the requirements in 4.3.1(A)(1-5) of the Administrative Guidelines.
a. What unique strategies are you offering and why are they effective? This could include but is not limited to: i. Type and quantity of vehicles used for maintenance and rebalancing operations. Cargo Trikes We use cargo trikes to deploy, rebalance and collect vehicles in densely populated areas, carrying up to 10 scooters at a time. This program has dramatically reduced operational VMT in Santa Monica by approximately since being implemented. Bird’s cargo trikes also enable us to minimize our impact on trafc congestion in the city while working toward our goal of carbon neutrality. We currently have two cargo trikes in Santa Monica, which is more than enough to sustain our local feet. However, we plan to include four additional bikes to our operations for this permit period to further advance our growing sustainability goals.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 104 E-Scooters Fleet Managers and Bird Ambassadors often travel on Bird-issued e-scooters to respond to misparked or fallen vehicles, further reducing our operational carbon emissions and impact on local trafc. They also may ride e-scooters when patrolling busy corridors to proactively correct misparked devices and relocate Birds from over-concentrated areas. These daily routes include, but are not limited to, Main Street, Barnard Way, Appian Way, Ocean Ave., Montana Ave and Downtown Santa Monica.
E-Vans E-vans are a crucial component of our green operations plan in Santa Monica, as they help us transport our feet to and from our centralized service location in Playa Vista. Cargo trikes and e-vans work in tandem to limit our overall carbon footprint.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 105 Bird Ambassadors As described in 80, our local street team, also known as Bird Ambassadors, actively monitor the Santa Monica service area throughout the day either on foot, on a cargo trike, on a Bird-issued e-scooter or using another low-emission vehicle. In addition to proactively correcting misparked devices and relocating Birds from over-concentrated areas, Bird Ambassadors respond to devices fagged through our customer service channels (see page 184) and alerts from our operations management system, Bird AI (see page 61). ii. Vehicle Miles Traveled per month to maintain a feet of 1,000 devices.
Having the majority of our operations based here in Santa Monica and most of our Fleet Managers using personal Bird e-scooters and Bird e-trikes means we have a very small carbon footprint in our eight square mile hometown. In Santa Monica, Bird set a rigorous goal of limiting operational VMT—including charging, rebalancing and maintenance activities—to Bird miles traveled. In March 2021, we limited our e-van VMT in the city to miles. In comparison our Santa Monica/Venice cargo trikes traveled miles. As demand continues to pick up, we will add additional cargo trikes to support our rebalancing operations. Due to our superior battery life before a vehicle has to be recharged we will still plan to rebalance our e-bikes and other device type oferings by riding them or cargo trikes. To ensure transparency in our operations, Bird reports our operational VMT to the City of Santa Monica on a monthly basis.
Bird AI - Limiting Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Bird AI (see page 61) is at the heart of Bird’s eforts to reduce our carbon footprint. This proprietary operating system uses artifcial intelligence built from billions of operational data points to help us predict and plan for rider needs and behavior. By running real-time vehicle states and other data inputs (trafc, day, time, historical use patterns, etc.) through a series of algorithms, Bird AI updates our local operations team and Bird Ambassadors on the most efcient times and routes for rebalancing, deploying and/or capturing
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 106
iii. Procedures and location for charging devices/ batteries, the energy mix used to charge, and percent of renewable energy used to charge devices.
Safe Charging Practices Our multimodal feet can only be charged by trained teams in certifed service locations. Batteries that are integrated into the vehicle eliminate the risks associated with in-feld removal and replacement. We chose to prioritize safety over operational convenience and designed our battery to automatically disable in the event of any unauthorized handling. Key components of our safe charging infrastructure include: ● Safe Battery: On-board Battery Management System (BMS) improves charging safety by cutting power to any battery that begins to overheat or operate outside of safe range. The BMS can self-diagnose and report more than , such as potentially dangerous humidity changes in the battery encasement. ● Regular Inspections: Local service center leadership engage in regular quality assurance and compliance checks of the electrical capacity of buildings. We perform larger audits, carried out by our Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Supervisor, on a quarterly basis. ● Building Safety: Operations leadership is always available on-site and is tasked with ensuring the electrical capacity of the building can handle the amount of charging taking place. ● Consulting with To verify our practices are best in class, Bird partners with , the same leading Engineering and Scientifc Consulting frm used by Tesla, to advise on battery safety and technology. Upon completing a charge, the local team member inspects the battery unit and performs a diagnostic test to ensure everything is working properly. Additionally, we partner with local businesses to install charging stations. In December 2019, we designed proprietary low-profle charging docks and installed them for open, shared use at the Colorado Center in Santa Monica. We have interest from several local businesses, including many who partner with BirdPay, and residential complexes to add new docks across the city, and hope to work with the City to install additional docks in designated parking corrals during this next phase of the pilot program. In 2019, the City of Santa Monica transitioned to 100% renewable energy electricity and we strongly support those eforts. Over the past two years Bird has developed strong relationships in the Santa Monica community. We are already in the process of having conversations about charging docks at Fairmont Miramar, Hampton Inn and Community Corp of Santa Monica housing properties. Our goal is to have 10 charging docks around the city by September 1, and 25 by the end of 2021. Having collected nearly four years of data in the City of Santa Monica, we have a road map of where we believe charging stations would be successful. Areas around the city that we see the need will include 6th and Santa Monica, 26th and Olympic, Main and Ashland, and Santa Monica Courthouse We will work closely with City staf as these charging locations are identifed. Public access to the locations will be top priority.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 108 Carbon Offsets and Climate RECs We purchase certifed carbon ofsets and Renewable Energy Certifcates through 3Degrees to achieve operational carbon neutrality in the U.S. in 2019 and Europe in 2020. The portfolio of products we have supported includes: ● an anaerobic digester project at a family-owned dairy in New York, a landfll gas collection project at a landfll in Pennsylvania, a reforestation project that converts marginal farm acreage back into forested land along the Mississippi River, and an SF6 Reduction from automotive supply chain project located in Michigan and Ontario, Canada. ● a large portion of the RECs purchased through this initiative in 2019 went to support the California Brighter Schools Solar project.
Energy Mix Used to Charge and Renewable Energy We are committed to using renewable energy to power our operations. In Marseille, France, we power our entire service center with renewable energy, ensuring both our feet and service vehicles are sustainably charged, and contributing excess renewable energy back to the national grid. We hope to use this model for our Santa Monica operations as we continue to make our operations more sustainable. In Santa Monica, of our charging takes place in our service center or in our charging docks at the Colorado Center in Mid-City. of charging occurs in service locations managed by our Fleet Managers in Santa Monica under the Clean Power Alliance that provides renewable energy. Our local service center, located Playa Vista, currently consumes kWH/month. We use motion-sensor lights, energy efcient fxtures and the same powerwalls used by Tesla to ensure we consume minimal energy for daily activities. of our energy sourced from the grid is powered by renewable energy sources and we purchase renewable energy certifcates from 3Degrees to make all Bird charging carbon-free.
iv. Device and battery disposal/recycling practices including location disposal/recycling. Prioritizing Recycling Our safety and sustainability pillars extend to the end-of-life processes for our batteries. While the battery engineering team at Bird designs Bird’s batteries to be the longest lasting and highest rated (IP68) for sustainability and safety purposes, the vehicle batteries do reach a point where they need to be responsibly disposed, recycled or upcycled. When the time comes, every component of our vehicles is recycled in a way that meets or exceeds with local and international standards.
Once a vehicle reaches its “end of life” we take the following actions: ● Break it down into component parts. ● Inspect and test each part to determine ability for reuse, repair and expected timeline of future use.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 109 ● Catalog and record the inspection and test outcomes as well as next steps (ex: repair or refurbishment, reuse, recycling) in our global supply chain database. Parts logged for recycling are sorted into like materials and retrieved by certifed recyclers. Our local vendors follow responsible recycling and disposal practices and are in compliance with:
For non-battery related parts, we partner with Anaheim-based, M3 Metals and SA Recycling. They specifcally handle recycling of the vehicle chassis, frame and other component parts. Additional materials, including the frame and e-waste, are brought separated, melted down, and recycled by our local vendors.
Safety, Responsible Battery Handing, Recycling and Disposal Our Standard Operating Procedure for handling batteries was developed by our Environmental, Health and Safety Manager who has more than a decade of experience in this area, previously establishing health and safety protocols for hazardous materials for both the U.S. Air Force and Tesla. Battery sensors help us proactively identify abnormalities in battery performance. These scooters are picked up within one hour and placed in designated locations for further inspection. We train every service center employee to handle electronic waste safely and responsibly using the following protocol. ● Batteries and e-waste are handled by employees wearing nitrile gloves, safety glasses, and other protective equipment. ● When a scooter enters a service location, batteries undergo a multipart visual inspection.
● Batteries showing no sign of damage are stacked into plastic containers, with foam or cardboard stacked between layers. Stacks do not exceed seven battery packs. Labels indicate reuse or recycle. ● Batteries showing any sign of damage are brought to a specialty hazardous waste containment area that is stocked with emergency equipment. They are handled in this area, stored in metal drums, and separated by Vermiculite to prevent movement during transport. Labels indicate that the batteries are damaged. IT Asset Partners (iTAP) responsibly recycles Bird batteries locally in Chatsworth, California. We sort and store all retired batteries at Bird service centers according to safety protocols setup by our in-house Health and Safety team in compliance with all Santa Monica rules and regulations and independently audited by a third-party. As determined by data from our battery management system or through visual inspection, special precaution is used with any battery that indicates any sign of potential damage. These batteries are placed in UN-rated poly drums with a lid and Class 9 Hazard label. Damaged batteries are secured with an anti-stat zipper bag used to contain the damaged battery within the container, and further secured using a pre-portioned bag of vermiculite.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 110 Battery Circularity and Second Life Bird’s Second Life battery initiative focuses on prolonging the use of every battery in our feet, frst by refurbishing them for reuse in our own scooters and second as a mobile powerwall to increase charging capacity at our facilities. We have developed a battery validator tool that allows us to diagnose any battery issues and troubleshoot to keep them in use as long as possible. Our recycling vendor, is helping to identify second-life uses, for example, the mobile charging blocks that we are testing in Santa Monica at Colorado Center. When batteries are not able to be reused, the recycling process achieves high levels of material reclamation and reentry onto the supply chain, with the goal of eventually using materials recycled from Bird batteries to manufacture new batteries.
Bird Charging Docks at Colorado Center, Santa Monica
Additional Sustainability Practices Collaborations, Commitments and Milestones Bird takes our responsibility to the environment seriously and sustainability is a core company value. Since our founding in 2017, we have: ● Reduced our device life-cycle emissions by ● Doubled our battery lifespan twice in two years to more than miles. ● Developed the industry’s frst integrated structural battery to reduce manufacturing emissions, the same technology used by Tesla in its newest electric cars.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 111
We send push notifcations to riders and deliver in-app banners to notify riders of any hazardous air quality conditions and provide any public health guidance from the City.
“The collaboration between Bird and Plume aims to provide a new instrument for the community to understand and measure the phenomena of pollution peaks and act accordingly. For these reasons, we are delighted to support Bird.” Plume Labs
Urban Forests and Local Efforts Since April 2019, we've partnered with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every rider who takes at least six rides. Planted around the world, the trees are helping create more urban forests and gardens in densely populated cities. Additionally, we engage in local eforts to support our communities. For example, in Santa Monica our team frequently engages in beach clean-up projects with Heal the Bay. We are currently planning our next one for later this month in April. As Santa Monica is our hometown, we believe it's important to give back to our local community. Be a Corporate Sustainability Leader Our policies have always aimed to limit company-wide travel that required air travel and would prioritize trips via e-car, rail or bus. In 2019, and again in 2020, Bird was recognized for its corporate transport demand management strategy and is certifed as a Green Business. In addition, Bird is the only transport company recognized with a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Award. Team Programs and Incentives We focus on engaging every team member in our sustainability mission. Bird teams receive: ● Environmental stewardship training. ● Subsidized sustainable commuting options with free Bird rides and discounted transit passes. ● Work from home policy to reduce commuting trips. ● Encouragement to improve efciencies in the sustainability of our operations. ● Incentives to purchase electric vehicles and transition to renewable energy.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 113
7. RIDER BEHAVIOR & ROADWAY SAFETY COMPLIANCE: Briefly describe your plan for ensuring riders comply with the rules of the road and observe the appropriate etiquette while riding.
Understanding Santa Monica Based on our nearly four years of experience and operational, at scale, footprint, we have had the opportunity to test and iterate on a number of programs and technologies aimed at improving rider behavior and roadway safety compliance. We know about Santa Monica riders and how they differ from other cities. We have taken learnings from our time operating to create bespoke programs and technology. For example, the most frst-time rides for Bird take place in Santa Monica due to the high tourist population, and, as a result, we introduced Beginner Mode (page 116). We applaud the City of Santa Monica for passing the Bike Action Plan, the frst of its kind in the country, to create hundreds of miles of bike lanes and bike friendly corridors throughout the city. And in 2020, when City ofcials decided to amend that plan in order to once again take a leading role nationwide in micromobility infrastructure—this time by focusing on protected bike and scooter lanes—Bird was proud to help. By analyzing scooter data from millions of trips along with information on car congestion and accidents, those drafting the amendment were able to lay out an additional 19 miles of separated micromobility infrastructure and amenities that will increase bike and scooter use and decrease reliance on personal cars and ride hailing. In addition, this forward thinking is a deterrent to sidewalk riding, a beneft we do not see in most cities.
Supporting Santa Monica’s Rules of the Road Throughout our three-plus years in Santa Monica, we have worked to create a culture of accountability to incentivize good behavior and assess small fnes if repeat violations are made. Our plan can be divided into two key categories: Technology and Educational/Events
Technology Mandatory In-App Rider Tutorial with Quiz: First-time riders are required to watch an illustrative riding and parking tutorial that depicts rules and regulations based on the type of vehicle they are riding and is specifc to Santa Monica. Upon completion, riders take a quiz to ensure understanding. Bird initiates additional safety quizzes every 10 rides to ensure continued awareness and compliance. Similar to our eforts in Chicago, we recommend Santa Monica require this for all operators. We will create a customized safety video for the next phase of our partnership with Santa Monica featuring local residents, infuencers, small-business owners and leaders like Climate Action Santa Monica, Councilmember Gleam Davis, Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, Earthbar Ocean Avenue and OurSantaMonica. Helmet Selfe: Designed to help cities increase helmet usage and improve the safety of riders, our Helmet Selfe program ofers riders incentives to wear a helmet while riding a Bird. At the end of each trip, our app prompts riders to take a selfe with their helmet on. Riders who demonstrate helmet usage will receive incentives such as future ride credits. Riders can also share their selfe via social media and include
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 115 #BirdHelmetSelfe to help promote broader adoption and use of helmets. This new technology resides on the rider’s phone, not our servers, for increased speed and accuracy detection. Custom In-App Messages: Our app provides follow-up education to riders prior to every ffth ride, which is both interactive and tailored to rider history, time of day and location. For example, on a Friday or Saturday night, a rider will receive a reminder to not ride while intoxicated or under the infuence. Pledge Cards: Bird uses virtual Pledge Cards to help educate riders on local laws and regulations. The cards are presented to riders via an in-app pop-up, requesting that they read and then pledge to abide by each rule. Over 600,000 riders in cities across the world such as Portland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta have taken the pledge. In Santa Monica, we secured a rider pledge rate of 80%.
Beginner Mode: According to an Austin Public Health study published in 2019, 33% of scooter injuries are sustained by frst-time riders, a greater proportion than the share of trips taken by those riders. We used this data to create and implement Beginner Mode, a gentle acceleration geo-speed option that lets new riders gradually work their way up to full speed. It’s perfect for riders who may not have much experience riding shared scooters, such as the millions of tourists who visit Santa Monica every year, as well as those who simply prefer a softer acceleration out of the gate. Beginner Mode is now a mandatory feature that is activated for each frst ride a person takes on a Bird vehicle. After that, riders can manually enable this feature in the app via Settings > Ride Mode. Email, Social Media and Pop-Up Reminders: We deliver regular, consistent and updated ongoing safety directives and education regarding the proper, compliant and safe use of our devices via email, social media, push notifcations and pop-up reminders. The in-app pop-ups require riders to acknowledge and click to confrm they have read safety messaging in order to proceed. The informational pop-ups for Santa Monica
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 116 include, but are not limited to, “No Sidewalk Riding” and “No Riding Under the Infuence.” Bird will also be implementing a recurring pop-up reminder set to appear every time a rider opens their app, warning them sidewalk riding is illegal and unsafe. The City of Santa Monica’s Shared Mobility Device Pilot Program User Survey found compared to local residents, visiting riders were less likely to know shared mobility devices weren’t allowed on the sidewalks and were also more likely to ride on them. By increasing the frequency of our “No Sidewalk Riding” pop-up, we will signifcantly increase awareness around this rule amongst both residents and the city’s many visitors using our service. For example, during Spring Break, holiday weekends, or joint education eforts with Santa Monica Police we use this pop-up messaging to prominently display that sidewalk riding is prohibited. We have seen sidewalk riding decrease year over year. We also credit this to the bike lane infrastructure that Santa Monica continues to double down on.
Perfectly Parked Birds social media campaign
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 117 Bird’s spring 2021 rider email
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 118
Educational/Events Safety School: Bird offers an on-demand, online Safety School while COVID-19 limits in-person events. Prior to COVID-19, Bird hosted 100+ safety events around the world to bring neighborhoods together and increase road safety awareness while distributing free helmets. For example, Bird sponsored the Santa Monica Wellbeing Festival, where we gave out over 100 free helmets and helped 42 visitors to our booth learn how to ride our new Bird Two vehicle. During the pandemic we moved these to an online or virtual format but as people start to move about their communities more and travel to new destinations, we will once again host, in partnership with Santa Monica Spoke and Climate Action Santa Monica, live Safety Schools and will host two per month in Santa Monica through the summer months when frst-time riderships soars. Local Safety Events: Over 1,000 Santa Monica residents and employees participated in local safety events. We have partnered with SaMo Spoke on National Bike to Work day, as well as hosted ride demonstrations and helmet giveaways at a number of Santa Monica events, including Buy Local and others. As part of these efforts, we will host monthly COVID-19 safe Safety School sessions in collaboration with other operators and offer discount codes for high quiz scores. We are currently planning one in April in partnership with Santa Monica Spoke and CCSM. Multi-Operator Education Campaigns: We promote safety messaging and information using billboards, street signage and paid advertisements. We propose a multi-operator campaign in Santa Monica this summer featuring key educational messaging around no sidewalk riding, no riding under the infuence and the important use of helmets. This would be similar to the E-Scooter Summer Education campaign launched in collaboration with the City of Santa Monica Communications Department in 2018. The City proposed a joint campaign with all operators, featuring safe riding tips displayed on the Big Blue Bus, Metro buses, Expo Line trains and stations, light pole banners and parking structures in Santa Monica. During this campaign, the City was looking to share campaign costs with operators of $50,000 each, Bird committed to that amount, but received pushback from the other operators, resulting in $15,000 from each operator. At Bird, we always collaborate with our city partners to support city-wide educational campaigns during the new permit period. Bird has experience launching similar campaigns in collaboration with our city partners and local transit authorities. For example, in January 2021, we worked closely with City of San Diego staff and City Council ofces to launch a city-wide e-scooter education campaign in partnership with the Metropolitan Transit System. We also partnered with the local transit authority (CTA) in Chicago on 30” x 96” bus media ads coupled with digital bus shelter display ads that featured Bird safety messaging. And, in Nashville, we ran two 20-foot billboards on the side of Bridgestone Arena for four months to remind riders how to use the bike lane, park responsibly and wear a helmet. We worked closely with MTS to determine ad placements based on trip date, ridership patterns of frst-time riders and 311 parking issues.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 121 San Diego education campaign in partnership with the Metropolitan Transit System.
Bird Ambassadors: Our parking analysis in cities around the world, including Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv, found a dedicated, highly visible on-the-ground presence like our Bird Ambassador team was an efective way to increase rider compliance. In addition to acting as a visual deterrent, Bird Ambassadors help monitor proper riding every day as part of their community patrols. When improper riding is spotted, the Bird Ambassador reports it to our support team who then works to identify the rider. and trigger a warning to that individual. We will then follow up with additional education as well as, if appropriate, penalties or termination. We also work with the City and event staf to ensure we have a Bird Ambassador presence during special events like Twilight Concert Series, Main Street Summer SOULstice and COAST to provide safe riding tips and hand out free helmets. Most recently our Bird Ambassadors were out in Downtown Santa Monica educating the public and answering questions during Spring Break. On-Vehicle Messaging: We promote key safety rules and messages, such as “Always Wear a Helmet,” “ID Required,” “No Sidewalk Riding”, and “18+ Years Old” on all of our vehicles. Current rider education messaging is compliant with Santa Monica requirements. The device ID is available in braille should visually impaired individuals need to contact us for any reason. Our core safety messages are in accordance with all local rules and regulations and include:
● No underage riding. ● Speed limit is governed at 15 mph. ● Yield to pedestrians. ● Always wear a helmet.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 122 ● Obey trafc laws. ● No intoxicated riding. ● No sidewalk riding. ● Park appropriately including in designated drop zones. ● No double riding. ● Remain alert. a. What unique technologies and/or strategies will you utilize to ensure riders do not ride on the sidewalks or other prohibited riding areas, including but not limited to: Geofencing or other equivalent technology, rider penalties for repeat offenders, auditory or in-app messaging, visual messaging or other educational efforts, etc.?
Sidewalk Prevention Technology Available now, Bird’s next-generation geofencing technology powers its anti-sidewalk riding technology. Using our (54) platform and on vehicle sensors Bird vehicles now detect and prevent sidewalk riding in real time. Within seconds of mounting a sidewalk, riders receive an audible and visual alert via their mobile device and the vehicle that they entered a no-ride zone. The vehicle will safely and slowly reduce its speed until it comes to a complete stop or until the rider moves off the sidewalk.
This technology is also deployed by our in market operations team to ensure regulatory compliance with regard to areas such as the Third Street Promenade and the Boardwalk. Simultaneously, we use the on-scooter display and audible alert system to remind riders sidewalk riding is not allowed and they must return to a bike lane, street or approved area to resume their ride. As described in page 124, Bird has an escalating penalty matrix for repeat offenders.
Of riders report that protected Of riders report that wider bike Of riders report that smoother bike lanes would help them feel lanes would help them feel more pavement would help them feel more safe and reduce their need safe and reduce their need for more safe and reduce their need for sidewalk rides. sidewalk rides. for sidewalk rides.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 123 Penalty Schedule Bird will use the following escalating penalty structure to respond to and remediate non-compliant rider behavior and parking violations. Fines will accompany an email describing the incident and why it was unsafe, educational materials relevant to the ofense, and a reminder about additional fnes and the potential for account termination. Riders on low-income plans will be excluded from all fnancial penalties but will receive the warning emails.
1st Offense 2nd Offense 3rd Offense 4th Offense
Account Improper Parking $5 fne $10 fne $20 fne terminated
Account Sidewalk Riding $5 fne $10 fne terminated
Account Unsafe Riding $20 fne terminated
Illegal/Extremely Unsafe Behavior Account e.g., pedestrian terminated harassment; riding with a minor
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 124 The above penalty structure includes much smaller fnes than we have issued in the past. Our revised approach is based on our experience serving cities like San Francisco, where we fnd riders who face very large fnes (e.g., $100) are more likely to abandon micromobility altogether instead of learning to improve their behavior. Secondly, large fnes were more likely to be rejected by a riders’ payment method, resulting in no impact on the rider and, therefore, no accountability. We have also updated the escalation fow and customized it based on the type/severity of the ofense and the number of ofenses. In cases where a rider engages in one improper practice (e.g., the rider parks improperly) and then engages in a diferent one (e.g., sidewalk riding), we do not restart the escalation fow but defer to the next level of severity. In this example, which could take place at the Colorado Esplanade, Ocean Ave, Main Street, Barnard Way or Downtown Santa Monica, the rider would frst be fned $5 for bad parking and then $10 for sidewalk riding. Visual Messaging, Auditory or In-App Messaging We display geofenced zones prominently in our app to enhance rider awareness and compliance. In addition, we have in-app haptic and audible notifcations when riders are entering or leaving a geofenced zone. As a result, riders have notice of riding and parking restrictions in real time without having to look at their phones. Tourists and First-Time Riders Santa Monica is a world class destination with over 10 million people visiting every year. It is important that we think of unique strategies to ensure riders know the rules of the road before they jump on a Bird in Santa Monica. Working closely with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, we will place education brochures on the rules of the road at 40+ hotels around the city and visitor information locations, including Main Street, Ocean Ave, and Santa Monica Pier.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 125 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 126 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 127 Other Educational Efforts As described on page 59, we remind riders sidewalk riding is prohibited through our social and digital channels, in person community events, on our vehicles, and Safety School. b. What unique technologies and/or strategies will you utilize to ensure riders park devices in appropriate locations, including but not limited to: Geo-fencing or other equivalent technology, parking penalties for repeat offenders, parking incentives or disincentive programs, auditory or in-app messaging, visual messaging or other educational efforts, etc.? We focus on harnessing technology paired with on-the-ground operational excellence to ensure riders park appropriately. Our vehicles feature the latest wireless and bluetooth technologies that support rider compliance with local parking and riding restrictions. Seamless integration between the vehicle and the rider’s mobile phone, via bluetooth, enable Bird to monitor the vehicle’s location in real time and enforce geofenced zones that regulate speed or prevent riding or parking based on the vehicle’s location. Enhanced connectivity also allows us to send push notifcations or provide audible alerts to riders to encourage compliance with geo-specifc parking or riding regulations in real time. Bird has used this technology to collaborate with cities across the world and comply with their unique riding and parking requirements including at dozens of universities, along the Santa Monica Ocean Front Walkway, at the Alamo and along river and lake paths. Our feet is also equipped with tip-detection technology that alerts our in market team when a scooter is in need of remediation, as well as a durable kickstand that enables riders to stand the vehicle upright to encourage compliant and orderly parking.
Our strategies are built from nearly four years of experience here in Santa Monica and are steeped in the learning that riders are more likely to park in a respectful and safe manner if they: 1. Begin their ride with a scooter that was parked properly in a designated location, 2. End their ride near properly parked vehicles, 3. Believe compliant parking to be the normal behavior across the city, and 4. Witness others in the community rejecting non-compliant parking. To reinforce these learnings and strategies, we developed a suite of parking solutions, products and operational strategies which minimize the likelihood riders park vehicles incorrectly. Bird uses data insights and innovative technology to prevent parking incidents before they arise, along with regular sweeps from our on-the-ground staff, input from riders and non-riders in Community Mode (our in-app reporting system), as well as our 3rd generation on-vehicle GPS, to ensure compliant parking.
Virtual Parking Corrals
Bird uses virtual corrals in Santa Monica to create strategic parking areas that enhance mobility while keeping the right-of-way clear. Corrals support smart parking management and can be easily tailored and adapted based on ridership patterns and demand. We currently have 127 virtual corrals in Santa Monica, all
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 128 of which are highlighted in app and incentivize and reward riders with $1 in ride credit when used (see page 133).
Sourcing Locations: Bird will continue to collaborate with City staff to add more virtual corrals during the new permit, using our almost four years of operational and ridership data to determine optimal locations for each corral. The team also considers factors like ADA concerns, foot trafc, sidewalk width, any City restrictions, and proximity to transit. Bird will seek local stakeholder input from organizations like the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, DTSM, Inc., Pico BID, the Montana Merchants Association, and the city’s seven neighborhood associations regarding appropriate locations. A dedicated Santa Monica webpage featuring a Parking Request form will also enable residents to request a virtual corral in their local neighborhood. This will help to support equitable coverage and reduce clutter and improper parking.
Making Virtual Corrals Visible: All corrals will be geofenced and marked within the Bird app map with a “P” sign to enable riders to locate them easily. Using our Preferred Parking feature (detailed on page 133), riders will be able to get turn-by-turn directions to each corral. Increasing the visibility of approved parking areas through the Bird app will promote orderly parking and help riders easily identify where and how to park. Bird can also incentivize their use, offering riders Bird credits when they park in an approved corral (see 133). Bird will publicize our virtual corrals at community events and via in-app messages. Prior to the end-of-ride photo, we will provide visual and audio prompts in-app and on the device itself to encourage riders to move their device to a nearby corral.
Parking Reservation: To reduce clutter, Bird can limit the number of devices able to park at each location. Riders can then use our Parking Reservation feature to ensure adequate parking space is available at their destination and reserve a parking space in advance of their arrival. We honor reservations for up to 15 minutes after booking. Once selected via the in-app map, we will provide both visual and audible turn-by-turn directions on the Bird.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 129 No-Parking Zones To support safe operations, Bird has created no-parking zones to prevent riders from parking vehicles in areas restricted by the City. If a rider enters a no-parking zone, the scooter sends an alert to the individual's cell phone and informs them via audible and visual messages on the scooter itself. Our on-scooter technology also prevents riders from ending their ride until they are in an approved parking area.
End-of-Ride Photo Bird applies advanced AI models to required end of ride photos to detect in real time if a rider parked inappropriately, and forces correction before a rider can end their ride to ensure scooters are parked orderly and upright. Our solution addresses several industry-wide issues, including:
End-of-Ride Issue Bird End-of-Ride Solutions
Riders submit photos of the Real-time AI scans the photo to confrm a scooter is present. If no scooter ground. is detected, riders must resubmit.
Riders submit photos of only Riders are directed to take three steps back, ensuring the vehicle aligns a portion of the vehicle. within the frame in an upright position.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 130 Effective parking norms Riders are asked to rate three end-of-ride photos before submitting their have not been established own. This additional step reinforces riders’ understanding of compliant among riders. parking
Riders are not motivated to We randomly reward riders who park compliantly with ride credits park appropriately. immediately after the photo is submitted. Conversely, we penalize riders who do not by continuing to charge them for their ride until they park compliantly.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 131 Local Business Partner Parking Nests Bird partners with local businesses and hotels to provide device parking that offer unique value to customers and help the local economy.
Through our work with several local and national businesses, we know that businesses that host Bird Partner Parking Nests enjoy: ● A Better Bottom Line - We help drive potential customers to local business with featured placement in the Bird app, on social media, and rider incentives to end their rides in these locations. We also provide our Partner Parking Nests at no cost to the merchant, allowing them to focus on growing their business and creating more jobs. In Santa Monica, we partnered with small businesses like Astros Doughnuts, Earthbar and Truxtons who were especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These options further incase the already signifcant impact that e-scooters are shown to have on the local economy. A new study from Emory University found $921 in spending was created per e-scooter deployed on average over six months. ● Value-Add for Visitors - These nests offer local shoppers and tourists the convenience and fun of shared e-scooters, while connecting local public transit. For example, we always ensure we have vehicles properly parked at designated locations such as Downtown Expo Station or hotels around the city. This allows visitors to connect to Expo Station or surrounding bus lines for longer commute trips. ● Mission-Driven Reputations - Our partners earn recognition in the community for their dedication to sustainability and equity. We’re proud to support a culture of corporate social responsibility in Santa Monica.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 132 Bird parking at Fairmont Hotel, Santa Monica
Parking Incentives and Penalties
Preferred Parking All virtual corrals and charging stations are marked within the Bird app map with a “P” sign to enable riders to easily locate them. In Santa Monica, we currently offer 127 incentivized parking locations. After one year of sharing Bird data with Santa Monica ofcials, parking corrals were added throughout the city based on start/end ride locations. By sharing data with cities we are able to assist with long term infrastructure improvements. Bird also offers Preferred Parking, a sophisticated in-app feature that provides riders with directions to approved and available parking locations. Designed in partnership with researchers at the NYU Stern School of Business, Bird Preferred Parking assists riders in locating approved parking locations using geofencing, in-app education, real-world visual reference points, real-time navigation and GPS-enabled alerts.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 133 — Incentivized Parking Nest
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 134 "We found that both virtual and physical parking spot markings improve user behavior, and that they are most effective when used in combination. This suggests that cities and operators should collaborate closely to develop a clear dense set of recommended parking locations and a unifed messaging strategy. We believe that the lessons learned from this research can be used to guide scooter parking recommendations in New York.”
Professor Harold Price, NYU Stern School of Business
Community Rebalancing If we detect an improperly parked vehicle, Bird highlights the vehicle in the app and offers users a fnancial incentive to re-park the vehicle (see page 107). By initiating Community Rebalancing before we trigger a response from our feld teams, we reduce VMT and operational emissions. Eligible e-scooters are highlighted in the in-app map using the “$” symbol. If a ride is not initiated after 20 minutes, we dispatch the closest Bird staf (either on foot or using a cargo trike or other low-emission vehicle) to address the issue.
Compliance Bounty Compliance Bounties help remediate more urgent concerns that may pose a threat to pedestrian safety or violate geofences. For example, in Rome, compliance bounties—sent to our team and the local police—help rapidly redress concerns in highly sensitive no-parking zones such as the Pantheon or Vatican. In Santa Monica, we will similarly identify community groups, law enforcement and other organizations to receive Compliance Bounty alerts if desired.
“Since day one, Bird and other companies have started a conversation with the City of Lisbon, and that’s very important. I think this idea of co-governance mobility between the public and private side is the future of mobility, where we sit around the table one time per month, sometimes two times per month, and we discuss what goes wrong and what is right, and we tweak the rules in the soft regulation approach.”
Miguel Gaspar, Deputy Mayor for Mobility & Safety, Lisbon, Portugal
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 135 Penalty Schedule Bird will use an escalating penalty structure to respond to and remediate non-compliant rider behavior and parking violations. Fines will be accompanied with an email describing the incident and why it was unsafe, educational materials relevant to the offense, and a reminder about additional fnes and the potential for account termination. Riders on low-income plans will be excluded from all fnancial penalties but will receive the warning emails. Please see page 124 for details.
Visual Messaging, Auditory or In-App Messaging
We display geofenced zones prominently in our app to enhance rider awareness and compliance. In addition, we have in-app haptic and audible notifcations when riders are entering or leaving a geofenced zone. As a result, riders have notice of riding and parking restrictions in real time without having to look at their phones.
Other Educational Efforts
As described in page 116, we remind riders sidewalk riding is prohibited through our social and digital channels, in person community events, on our vehicles, and safety school.
c. What unique technologies and/or strategies will you utilize for avoiding underage use of e-scooters, or use without a driver’s license? Our strategy encompasses education and technology to ensure compliance. We remind riders they need to be of age on the vehicle, throughout our app, our social channels, and at every community event. When Bird frst began ID checks, we had an in-house ID scanning solution. However, we recently partnered with a third party to deliver a more advanced tech that incorporates AI and anti-biased technology. AU10TIX, the global leader in online identity verifcation and user authentication, now verifes every Bird rider’s eligibility in real time. During sign-up, the Bird app directs riders to take a photo of their driver’s license, followed by a selfe. With permission from the City of Santa Monica, Bird can extend eligible documents to include any government-issued ID such as a passport or ID card to ensure adults without a driver’s license can still access the program. Since launching our AU10TIX-powered ID scan worldwide, approximately of IDs have failed to meet requirements, for being duplicates already registered on our system, and for being expired.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 136 “AU10TIX is proud to partner with Bird to enhance micromobility safety for riders around the world. Our proprietary ID verifcation technology supports thousands of ofcial ID types, meaning Bird riders around the world will be able to instantly authenticate their accounts and get moving. When two industry leaders come together to ensure that safety guidelines are respected efciently, everyone wins.”
Carey O’Connor Kolaja, CEO of AU10TIX
As required under the current program, all riders must have a valid driver's license, scanned and verifed by Bird. After three months, we clear the driver's license and require riders to rescan it before taking their next ride. Our AU10TIX-powered system uses biometric technology to confrm the rider is 18 years of age or older and their ID document is authentic and an unaltered match to the person pictured in the selfe. This comprehensive review process prevents underage riders from signing up to our service, as well as detects any fraudulent attempts to open multiple accounts with the same ID.
AU10TIX is certifed under ISO/IEC standard 27001:2013 Information Security Management Systems. Both Bird and AU10TIX comply with state, federal and international requirements for managing personal user data. For riders using our non-smartphone option (181), we insert an SMS-fow into the ride start fow, through which photos are sent via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). MMS is supported by virtually all
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 137 phones, carriers and plans. Bird’s driver’s license validation system ensures compliance with California State law. The system includes re-validation of each user’s driver’s license once every three months, currently in practice in Santa Monica. Bird has also sent proactive communications to Santa-Monica Malibu Unifed School District (SMMUSD) to highlight the laws around riding scooters, including scooter riding being prohibited for those under 18, even though the state allows those who are 16 years of age to ride e-scooters. We will continue to partner with SMMUSD to ensure students are aware that underage scooter use is prohibited.
Email campaign sent to SMMUSD parents highlighting safe e-scooter guidelines
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 138 Dr. Antonio Shelton, Principal at Santa Monica High School, shares Bird’s e-scooter guidelines for parents
d. What unique technologies and/or strategies will you utilize for ensuring only one rider per device? Ensuring Bird availability is one of the best deterrents to tandem riding. Our global learned experience has taught us to deploy and rebalance scooters in pairs to increase availability and prevent double riding. We also allow riders to engage in group rides—safely unlocking multiple vehicles with one payment by adding a second email account, scanning additional drivers license and rider consent form—and provide every rider with a personalized referral code that can be shared with friends for a free frst ride. In Santa Monica, 21% of all rides taken in the last three months were group rides. All riders must read and sign release waiver, watch safety instruction video, and scan individual drivers licenses before they can take a ride. Concurrently, we saw complaints of group riding through our feedback channels decrease by page 184. In addition, we remind riders there is no double riding in all of our all rider education materials, in person events, in-app messaging, quizzes, digital channels, social channels and emails.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 139 e. What unique technologies and/or strategies will you utilize for ensuring riders do not ride while under the infuence of drugs or alcohol? As we have done in 130+ markets, and here in Santa Monica, we deploy operational, educational, and technological strategies to deter riding while under the infuence of drugs or alcohol. Operational Strategies
We approach safety in a holistic manner, and are concerned not only about the potential dangers of people riding while intoxicated but also about intoxicated automobile drivers. We limit deployment of vehicles near to, and rebalance away from, active nightlife areas and bars in the evening hours such as on Main Street, and popular bars on event days. We can also work with the City to set up time-activated geofences during specifc days and times to prohibit riders from riding on streets that are unsafe due to either the fact that they might be riding under the infuence or drivers might be under the infuence. For example, we know the Bungalow is a popular location on Friday and Saturday evenings. We proactively rebalance vehicles away from the area after 11 p.m. to reduce the potential of people renting an e-scooter after leaving the bar.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 140 f. Describe your strategy for making helmets available to customers and encouraging customer use of helmets.
We understand it’s not enough to just ofer access to sustainable transportation, Bird believes strongly that we need to enable members of the community to use it safely and responsibly. As such we are committed to ensuring that a wide range of riders, specifcally the economically disadvantaged, have access to industry-grade helmets. Access to a helmet should never deter someone from the community from riding or serve as a barrier to mode shift. Bird has proudly spearheaded a proactive helmet safety campaign since our foundation in 2017, distributing over 80,000 helmets to riders across the U.S., including over a thousand in Santa Monica. From in-person and in-app giveaways to on-vehicle attachments, we ensure all riders have easy access to helmets when using our service. Events Helmet Giveaways: Bird will continue to work with local businesses and organizations to distribute thousands of free helmets to Santa Monica residents and visitors as well as at Ride Better events. Previous giveaways included the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, SaMo Spoke, local employers at spaces such as the Water Garden, and nonprofts like Sustainable Works. All future events will take place in strict adherence to local health and safety rules. Our local team is also exploring opportunities to deliver free helmets in conjunction with local bike shops throughout Santa Monica and neighboring Los Angeles. These locations will be highlighted in our in-app map, along with the store address and hours. We also currently have a partnership with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism where we provide free helmets at the three tourist information locations in Santa Monica.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 141 Santa Monica Travel and Tourism website highlighting free Bird helmets
In-App During rider onboarding and in the “How to Ride” section of the app, we present animated instructional safety graphics that inform riders of helmet laws and encourage their use. A clear directive to wear a helmet is also visibly printed on the scooter itself. Additionally, helmet use is a major focus in our email, online and in-person safety training and messaging. Riders can request a helmet online through our website (https://birdhelmets.myshopify.com/) or through the Bird app. Helmets are free, and riders are only required to pay for shipping costs. Free Helmet Orders: Riders can request a helmet online through our website (https://birdhelmets.myshopify.com/) or through the Bird app. Helmets are free and riders are only required to pay for shipping.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 142 On Vehicle On-Scooter Helmet (optional): Following feedback from both cities and riders, we have added vehicle features such as an attached helmet via an integrated Bluetooth locking system. We’ve implemented this option in Tel Aviv as a pilot program and seen nearly perfect rider compliance with local helmet laws. Bird can equip our vehicles with an attached helmet using our integrated Bluetooth lock. Riders choosing to use the provided helmet can unlock it using the Bird app and must reattach it at the end of their ride. Our teams sanitize the helmets daily using CDC-approved disinfectants. However, during this time of increased concern, we understand many riders may not be comfortable with a shared-use helmet. For this reason, we continue to widely publicize the above options that enable riders to receive a free personal helmet. We will offer attached helmet vehicles and deliver data regarding the efcacy of this tool to promote helmet usage. We would be happy to bring this technology to Santa Monica.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 143 To further encourage their use, Bird designed an industry-frst Helmet Selfe feature. At the end of each trip, after the end-of-ride compliance photo, we invite riders to take a selfe wearing a helmet for a discount off their next ride.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 144 8. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUTREACH & SAFETY/ RIDING EDUCATION: Briefly describe your plan to engage with the community and educate your customers in order to ensure the safety of riders and all roadway users.
Bird uses a holistic, 360° approach to community engagement to connect with riders and non-riders. This includes multiple touchpoints such as in person and virtual events, advertising, in-app messaging, digital marketing, email campaigns and community partnerships. In addition, we also regularly engage with our community through messaging around safety, sustainability, responsible riding, local rules and parking.
“While there are several providers of shared e-scooters in Santa Monica, Bird stands out as being the most committed to the concerns of people throughout our community. Additionally, Bird has been an enthusiastic partner in its effort to advance its goals around sustainability, trafc reduction, and safety.” Gina Garcia, Co-ED and Director of Community Sustainability Programs and Susy Borlido, Co-ED and Director of Green Business Programs at Sustainable Works
a. Do you agree to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.6 of the Administrative Regulations?
Yes, Bird agrees to meet—and commits to exceed—the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.6 of the Administrative Regulations. Bird educates riders about safety, etiquette and riding rules at the time of sign-up and at the time of each rental. Messages in Santa Monica include, but are not limited to: 1. Must wear helmets when legally required and should wear helmets when not. 2. Sidewalk riding is prohibited. 3. Park in appropriate locations including designated drop zones. 4. Riding Age Restrictions. 5. One person per device. 6. Obey the rules of the road. 7. Yield to Pedestrians. 8. How to report an issue. 9. Do not ride under the infuence.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 145 Bird’s rental messaging is easy to understand and requires interactive acknowledgement or confrmation by the rider, including a “rules quiz” with yes and no questions. Bird educates customers on how to appropriately park devices at the time of each rental through in-app and audio messaging. Messages inform riders that improper parking puts others at risk. Bird has systems to review and link riders to violations. Software and mobile apps regularly inform and educate users when they have ridden into prohibited riding areas such as Ocean Front Walk, the Beach Bike Path, beach parking lots, public parking facilities, Third Street Promenade, the Pier or Pier Bridge, Palisades Park and public parks. Bird informs riders about special events, operational changes or scheduled and publicly announced Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) education/enforcement actions through our mobile app. In addition, we inform riders that operating shared mobility devices under the infuence of drugs or alcohol is against the law. We regularly deploys Bird Ambassadors and street teams to educate riders on safety and appropriate device use, including parking. These teams are clearly identifable as operator staff. We prioritize deploying Bird Ambassadors during holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day) and important events in Santa Monica such as Spring Break, Main Street SOULstice, COAST and Santa Monica Pier events when large crowds are expected. Additional hot spot areas include Colorado Esplanade and Ocean/Colorado intersection. Bird hosts a minimum of three (3) community events per quarter (exceeding City requirements) with community-based organizations, business improvement districts and other key stakeholders, half of which are targeted toward engaging low-income or other disadvantaged community members. Community events include multilingual outreach methods, multilingual fyers, social media posts and email blasts. Since launching our service, we have participated in and hosted 100+ community engagement events in Santa Monica and we plan to continue our robust outreach and engagement initiatives. Some events include tabling at Buy Local or the farmers markets to provide information on our low-income plans, help qualifying residents sign up for them and share safe riding and parking practices with the general public. Bird community events include a minimum two (2) learn to ride (Safety School, see page 121) education events per year. To achieve this objective, Bird coordinates with the City and fnancially contributes in order to establish far-reaching education and riding etiquette campaigns to help inform users of appropriate rider behavior. Bird will continue to report information and learnings from these outreach programs on a monthly basis in order to inform problem-solving efforts. These reports include, but are not limited to, the number of people, duration, location and general comments from community members.
b. What unique strategies are you offering beyond the minimum requirements and why are they effective? This could include but is not limited to: i. Strategies for participating and/or hosting community events
For nearly four years, community engagement has been a crucial component of Bird’s operations in Santa Monica. We have hosted, participated in and supported over 100 events and public engagements throughout the city since our founding. Whether hosting a learn-to-ride event with the Community Corporation of Santa Monica in Pico or volunteering with Heal the Bay during a beach clean up day, the Bird
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 146 team is committed to positively contributing to the Santa Monica community beyond providing safe, sustainable and equitable transportation. Our community engagement strategies for 2021 build upon the established relationships we have developed over the past three-plus years. Our plan prioritizes ongoing, consistent dialogue and feedback loops to help us action input from the community and improve our service and products in the immediate and long term. For example, as an active member of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, we have strong relationships with the business improvement districts. These communication channels have helped us design innovative products that minimize disruption, including our in-app Community Mode feature (see page 165) that started in Santa Monica and has since been scaled globally. We are proud to be a trusted community partner and value the open dialogue we continue to nurture with city residents, businesses and nonproft organizations. The following strategies focus on wide-reaching, targeted engagements for both riders and non-riders. They are designed to increase the safety of our service and lower barriers to access for Santa Monica’s residents and visitors. Bird is committed to hosting or participating in at least fve community events and engagements per month in Santa Monica to remain a deeply invested community partner and give every neighborhood direct access to our local team.
"Thank you so much for your willingness to share yourselves with our community at our First Wellbeing Summit! It is safe to say, the event exceeded our expectations and that is in no small part due every single one of you. You showed up, you engaged our residents, you took part in the day, and it showed.” Lisa Parson, Project Manager at City of Santa Monica, CA
Connect Series Bird will continue to host our successful Connect Series on at least a quarterly basis. We will rotate our events throughout the city, partnering with local businesses and nonproft organizations to meet with residents in their local neighborhoods. For example, in November 2019, Bird hosted a Connect event at Astro Doughnuts on Main Street with Councilmember Gleam Davis. During these events, we provide information on how to use our service, highlight Bird Community pricing options, review safe riding tips and, most importantly, listen to and gather feedback on how we can continue to improve our service. Bird advertises these events on our social media channels and via in-app notifcations. We also produce multilingual informational fyers with each event’s location and time that we will distribute to Santa Monica’s Main Library and branches at Montana and Pico, Santa Monica Senior Center, Ocean Park Community Center, Virginia Ave Park, amongst the city’s seven neighborhood associations, and four business improvement organizations to ensure that every Santa Monica resident has access to participating in our events.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 147 Bird highlights our Santa Monica Connect event via Twitter
Bird’s Santa Monica team with Councilmember Gleam Davis at a community Connect event
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 148 “Bird was a delight. Highly professional, exceeded expectations and over delivered. Given the chance, I would work with them as much as possible. We also now have a designated Bird parking mat in our parking lot.” Art Levitt, Owner of Astro Doughnuts
Local Pop-Up Events Bird will host monthly pop-up multilingual informational events across the city, similar to our efforts at the Bergamot and Downtown stations in Santa Monica in 2019. During these events, our team greeted morning commuters, provided informational fyers on how to use our service, and provided discounted ride coupons to encourage multimodal trips. By taking our teams to the streets, we reach a much larger audience than our smaller, targeted events. In 2021, we will focus our pop-up events in downtown, near the Pier, and along Montana, Pico, and Main Streets to capture riders to provide resources and materials on our programs.
Hosting Roundtables and Conversations In 2021, Bird will host a series of four roundtables, each focusing on a particular theme relevant to Santa Monica. These will range from mobility justice to road safety. Bird will bring together researchers, advocates, community-based groups, law enforcement and other key stakeholders to identify actionable policies that enhance our local service. We are currently planning our frst roundtable for Santa Monica, bringing together disability organizations and advocates like Disability Community Resource Center, Western Center on Law and Poverty, and Wise and Healthy Aging representing the various stakeholders in Santa Monica. The event is an opportunity for our team to gather feedback on our new accessible vehicles, future vehicle innovations, and complementary programs like an on-demand delivery service, ensuring the products and services we are developing remain centered around local community needs. Bird has had considerable success hosting previous roundtables in Santa Monica. Since 2017, we have hosted eight roundtables and have engaged with a variety of stakeholder groups, including Santa Monica’s business community, safe streets organizations, sustainability groups and nonprofts, and neighborhood associations, where we learned about community concerns regarding sidewalk clutter, our corporate sustainability programs, parking solutions, and more. These roundtables and informal listening sessions helped to inform program and product improvements such as our earliest demonstrations of geotechnology for the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade. Additional examples include: ● Safe Streets Micromobility Roundtable. In March 2020, Bird, in collaboration with the RAND Corporation, convened a micromobility safety policy discussion with 50 leading medical professionals, researchers, city agency representatives and advocates, including representatives. In a collaborative effort to transform research data into actionable insights, the presenters and participants, including University of Tennessee professor Chris Cherry, Head of New Mobility at SAE
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 149 International Annie Chang and Miami Public Works Director Alan M. Dodd, identifed several key objectives to help improve road safety, including improving education of car drivers. In response, Bird launched the micromobility industry’s frst safety course for drivers. Our online program shines a light on some of the most common causes of crashes involving automobiles colliding with micromobility riders. Our instructional videos teach drivers how to avoid potentially serious crashes as well as proven techniques that they can implement to stay vigilant about more vulnerable road users. At the end of each video, a brief follow-up quiz is proposed to ensure participants have retained the information. Bird is engaging with The California Department of Motor Vehicles to explore opportunities to publicize the course through their website and social media channels. ● Small-Business Roundtable. In May 2019, we hosted a small-business roundtable at our Santa Monica headquarters. During the networking event, we engaged businesses (including Malin + Goetz, Perry’s Cafe and Beach Rentals, Harvest Bar, Par Commercial Brokerage, Arthur Murrary, Pico BID, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., and more) in conversation around micromobility, exploring partnership opportunities to generate more foot trafc to support local businesses, and addressing local challenges in meeting TDM targets. In response, Bird launched our business subscription program, enabling local businesses to purchase ride coupons for employees to encourage eco-friendly commuting via Bird. Recognizing Bird rides may represent only one part of each company’s Transportation Demand Management program strategy, Bird invoices enrolled businesses for rides that are actually taken each month, up to the maximum amount specifed by each company. See page 149 for more information.
Bird’s Santa Monica Small-Business Roundtable
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 150 Santa Monica Neighborhood Associations Bird has met, and will continue to meet, with each of the following Neighborhood Associations at least once a quarter to provide a consistent line of communication. This will include attending monthly meetings, one-off roundtables and community events hosted to solicit feedback on our service and educate members on our access programs and updated product features. ● Friends of Sunset Park ● North of Montana Association ● Ocean Park Association ● Pico Neighborhood Association ● Santa Monica NorthEast Neighbors ● Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors ● Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) Over the past three-plus years, we have built strong relationships with all seven of Santa Monica’s Neighborhood Associations. Our team has participated in roundtables to discuss micromobility operations in the city, engaged with constituents during public comment, and supported local neighborhood events. For example, in July 2019, we attended the Ocean Park Association Parade. During the event, our team distributed safety handout cards, provided Bird Community information, and engaged community members in important conversations around Bird and equitable access to sustainable transportation. In 2021, we will continue to listen, engage and implement actionable fndings based on community feedback from across individual neighborhoods of Santa Monica.
Engaging Santa Monica’s Low-Income Residents In 2021, Bird will host monthly learn-to-ride and sign-up events at low-income housing complexes with a focus on the Pico neighborhood. This will build upon our current work with the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, a nonproft organization that restores, builds, and manages affordable housing in the city. Our team has worked with the organization to share sign-up instructions via resident newsletters and hosted targeted outreach events to raise awareness of our service and Bird Community pricing program. Thanks in part to this initiative, Bird increased the number of participants enrolled in Bird Community by over 200% in the last year (from 138 participants in early 2020 to 417 as of April 2021).
“The partnership between Bird and Community Corp of Santa Monica shows their commitment to affordability of transportation for every Santa Monica resident. This partnership will ensure that our 4,000+ residents in Santa Monica have affordable and reliable access to sustainable transportation.” Tara Barauskas, Executive Director, Community Corp of Santa Monica
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 151 Bird is committed to continuing and expanding mobility justice goals in Santa Monica, working in partnership with the Community Corporation and other groups like Step up on Second to offer a truly accessible, equitable and affordable transit option that helps level the mobility playing feld.
Bird supports Downtown Santa Monica’s frst-ever Pride celebration in 2019
Supporting Local City Events Bird commits to attending a minimum of one City event per month, either virtual or in-person as determined by local COVID-19 rules and regulations. We have a long history of participating in city-organized events throughout the year, ranging from health and wellness festivals to the annual Santa Monica 4th of July parade. Such events enable our team to engage with community members throughout the city’s eight District neighborhoods, raising awareness around our services, accessibility products and safe riding practices. Examples of previous and future engagements include: ● SaMo Bike to Work Day: Bird was an ofcial Pit Stop during the City’s Bike to Work Day. Our booth welcomed over 60 commuters, who stopped by for music, breakfast bites, giveaways and to learn more about Bird and our commitment to supporting sustainable commuting options in Santa Monica. ● Santa Monica Pride: Bird was proud to support Downtown Santa Monica’s frst-ever Pride celebration in 2019. We offered discounted rides and distributed free helmets to attendees. ● 4th of July Parade: Bird participates in the annual Santa Monica 4th of July Parade, meeting with guests and distributing free rides to attendees. ● Buy Local Health and Fitness Festival: In September 2019, Bird hosted a booth to discuss our safety engagement efforts. We distributed free helmets and provided in-person training on our e-scooters. ● National Night Out: In 2019, Bird both sponsored and participated in the annual community-police awareness-raising event, National Night Out. During the event, we distributed free helmets, provided e-scooter safety demonstrations, and answered questions from the public.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 152 ● Sustainable Works Eco Star Awards: Bird sponsored and attended Sustainable Works Eco Star Awards in Santa Monica in 2019. Our sponsorship went to funding leadership training for 500 college students in Sustainable Works’ Student Greening Program. ● Santa Monica Wellbeing Summit: Bird attended the City’s Wellbeing Summit to raise awareness around sustainable transportation options in Santa Monica. We offered discounted rides, distributed free helmets, and handed out “I ride because” cards to learn more about how residents were using Bird in their community. Our team brought in local company Zen Stop to provide free meditation sessions, and also invited guests to plant seeds in our community planters. ● 2020 State of the City: In February 2020, Bird sponsored the SM State of the City event, which brought together business and resident communities to learn more about the latest trends and innovations in social impact both regionally and globally. ● OIR Community Listening Session: In November 2020, Bird participated in the City of Santa Monica Community Listening Session, that asked for community input from local businesses to prepare an independent after-action report and evaluation regarding the events leading to, during, and following May 31, 2020 . ● 2021 Sustainable Quality Awards: In April 2021, Bird will participate in the 2020 Sustainable Quality Awards where we will be honored as this year’s only Grand Prize awardee. ● Santa Monica Chamber Meetings: Resuming in April 2021, Bird participates in Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce’s virtual events and committee meetings.
Morgan Roth, Bird’s Government Partnerships Manager, attends Santa Monica State of the City.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 153 Bird attends the City’s inaugural Wellbeing Summit.
Engaging with Local Businesses Over the past three-plus years, Bird has developed robust partnerships with the business community in Santa Monica to promote access to our service and encourage partnerships that beneft both the city’s residents and businesses. As employees start returning to ofces later this year, Bird will host monthly outreach events at business centers and ofce blocks throughout the city, including how-to-ride engagements and pop-up safety demonstrations. Events will focus on promoting our new feet of diverse vehicles as a naturally, socially distanced form of transportation while highlighting programs like our Bird Business Credit program (see 175) and Frequent Flyer program (see 107) to encourage eco-friendly commuting with Bird. In addition to engaging local businesses through our Connect Series and Roundtables (see 149), Bird will also continue to attend monthly meetings and support one-of events hosted by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and the city’s Business Improvement Districts, including DTSM, Inc., Pico BID, and the Montana Merchants Association. For example, in 2019, we participated in the SM Buy Local festival and the Santa Monica State of the City hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. During these events, we ofered multilingual handouts on responsible riding practices and promoted our Bird Community plan. These events also allowed us to hear from business owners, riders, and non-riders directly. Many commented they had
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 154 noticed an improvement with parking across the city due to the new parking locations that Bird established in partnership with the City. We used this as an opportunity to discuss other ways Bird was working to improve parking in Santa Monica, including the new dual-center kickstand on the Bird Two. Bird will also continue to support similar events to those detailed below as and when local businesses and BIDs begin to host safe events in the future. ● Colorado Center Earth Day Fair: In April 2019, Bird participated in Boston Properties local Earth Day Fair showcasing sustainable transportation options for commuters. This year for Earth Day, we are doing a rider pledge where a percentage of each ride in Santa Monica goes to the environmental nonproft Sustainable Works. We will be promoting this via rider messaging, social and their newsletter. ● Sustainable Quality Awards: In May 2019, Bird supported the Sustainable Quality Awards, which recognizes businesses in the Santa Monica area that are successfully putting sustainable practices into action. Bird provided free helmets for every attendee and encouraged guests to travel to and from the event via e-scooter by placing temporary Nests around the event location. ● Lionsgate Wellness Day: In August 2019, Lionsgate produced a resource fair focused on sustainability and wellness. Bird offered free helmets, discounted rides and provided general information at our booth. ● Merchants Association of Montana Ave Block Party: In August 2019, Bird was an in-kind sponsor for the Merchants Association of Montana Ave Block Party. During the event, we distributed informational fyers and educated attendees on responsible e-scooter riding. ● Rentals Commuter Events: In November 2019, we launched our rentals program and hosted multiple commuter-specifc events at local ofce buildings to educate Santa Monica workers on the new program.
Partnerships with Workforce Development Groups Successful Bird operations in Santa Monica depend largely upon the strength of our local teams. We regularly attend job fairs and host information sessions with local economic development agencies and nonprofts, such as Chrysalis, PVJobs, Homeboy Industries, and U.S. Vets to ensure our team refects the communities we serve. For example, in May 2019, Bird attended Playa Tech Recruiting, a female-focused recruiting event, to showcase technical roles available at Bird. In Memphis, Bird engaged with Lifeline to Success and Project Return to provide formerly incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to run their own business and we would be happy to bring this program to Santa Monica. Our Talent team is currently sourcing virtual job fairs we can attend to raise awareness about upcoming employment opportunities to support our expanded feet in Santa Monica.
Engaging with Local Nonprofts Santa Monica’s nonprofts enrich the city and provide access and opportunity for all residents. We continue to engage with them regularly to understand how our service can best meet their clients’ needs and will ensure they are represented at our Roundtable series (see 149). Bird also proudly supports a number of local
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 155 nonprofts through contributions, sponsorships, in-kind donations, volunteering, and more. Our partners currently (and will continue to) include: ● Boys and Girls Club: Since 1944, SMBGC has given kids and teens what they need to succeed, providing a safe and nurturing environment to develop socially, succeed in school, stay physically active and prepare for positive futures. ○ We provide SMBGC with road safety educational materials and support their annual event to help continue programming ● Sustainable Works: Partners with cities, businesses, organizations, and educational institutions in LA County in order to help reach their sustainability and climate action goals. ○ We support Sustainable Works at their events, offering exclusively deployed vehicles to event participants as well as providing free helmets and other contributions to support the organization. ● Meals on Wheels: The only federally supported program designed to specifcally meet the nutritional and social needs of our senior citizens. ○ Bird supports Meals on Wheels West both fnancially via donations and through volunteering with the organization to deliver meals to seniors within the community. ● PAL: Creates immersive experiences where young adults with Down syndrome and their peers have fun, grow as individuals, and build transformative friendships. ○ Bird has supported PAL fnancially to ensure continued programming for the Santa Monica residents they serve. ● Safe Space for Youth: Provides a continuum of care for youth experiencing homelessness that includes street outreach, access center services, case management, health and wellness, and education and employment programs. ○ Bird has supported SPY in various ways, from fnancial contributions to sponsoring their vans that help to get their youth to and from critical appointments, job opportunities, etc. ● Santa Monica Education Foundation: The only organization that raises funds for all Santa Monica public schools, supporting arts and academic programs to ensure that all students thrive. Last year, we were proud to match $50,000 in donations. ○ Bird has made sizable contributions to Santa Monica Education Foundation year over year to ensure our local students have all the tools and enrichment programs to succeed. ● Heal the Bay: Work to mobilize LA’s diverse communities to protect our coastline, restore our waterways, and speak out for smart water policy. ○ Bird has supported Heal the Bay with a number of beach clean up events throughout our time in Santa Monica.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 156 “Throughout our entire campaign, I have been in awe of this community’s dedication to education. We are so grateful to Bird for their leadership in this matching effort and to each donor who gave to create opportunities for students. Because of them, Santa Monica students will continue to excel in the arts, design and invent in STEM classes, and beneft from crucial health and wellness programs. What an incredible investment in our community’s future.” Linda Greenberg, Executive Director of the SM Education Foundation
Bird employees serve lunch at Safe Space for Bird employees volunteer at the Los Angeles Youth Regional Food Bank to celebrate Bird turning three.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 157 During Bird’s annual Community Days in 2019 and 2020, employees participated in beach clean up events in Santa Monica
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 158 Working with Santa Monica College: Mentoring Events In addition to donating to and volunteering at local nonprofts supporting Santa Monica’s youth, we seek opportunities to mentor young residents in our city to ensure they will beneft directly from the job opportunities associated with Santa Monica’s emerging tech industry. As part of these efforts, Bird partnered with Santa Monica College (SMC) to support their Bachelor’s Degree in Interaction Design (IxD). SMC is the only Community College in California to offer the course. For their senior capstone project, we worked with students to develop ideas for a real-world challenge: how might we design a sustainable and equitable Bird loyalty program. Prototype ideas ranged from virtual reality systems to gamifying rides for meaningful incentives. The ideas were impressive, grounded in research from their fellow students, and helped form the basis of our expanded Community Pricing program (see page 173). We look forward to continuing our partnership with SMC once students and faculty return to the campus, working together to foster the next generation of micromobility leaders in the heart of Santa Monica.
“The IxD program really values working with industry partners because they take the classroom experience to the next level. With Bird, our students got their frst taste of what it’s like working with one of the world’s most compelling start-ups trying to solve a tremendous global problem. And as an added bonus, we’re neighbors—so it’s a win-win for our shared home of Santa Monica.” Professor Luke Johnson, Santa Monica College
Please see Appendix 6 for letters of support from Bird's local partners.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 159 ii. Strategies to engage with different user groups, such as non-english speakers, tourists, Santa Monica employees, persons with disabilities, etc.
Bird will continue to employ the following multi-prong strategies to engage different user groups, such as non-english speakers, tourists, Santa Monica employees and persons with disabilities. Partnering with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism During the summer of 2019, Bird partnered with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism to launch our Instant Education Campaign. Peak tourist season begins around Memorial Day in Santa Monica, and to ensure we were engaging with tourists, Bird sent staff to educate frst-time riders on rules of the road and provided free helmets at the city’s three tourist visitor centers. If selected to continue operating in 2021 and beyond, Bird looks forward to relaunching this successful campaign in partnership with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism once safe to do so, and in strict adherence to COVID-19 rules and regulations.
Engaging Santa Monica’s Commissions In October 2019, Bird presented to the Santa Monica Commission for the Senior Community and the Santa Monica Disabilities Commission to provide updates on ways to communicate feedback to the company. Both commissions welcomed the presentation and had productive feedback for our operations, including providing feedback on our ongoing operations and parking around key areas of the city. We will continue to work with Commissioners from both commissions to solicit feedback regarding our operations.
Supporting Santa Monica’s Employees Bird has worked extensively with the business community to provide information on our products and safe riding practices. Recognizing affordability and reliability are essential to attracting commuters to micromobility in Santa Monica—and as part of our company’s continued commitment to innovation—Bird began testing our Personal Rentals program in the city in early 2020. Through the Personal Rentals program, local employees receive their very own Bird One, a charge kit, and a bluetooth lock, all for a low monthly subscription, which can be subsidized by their employer. Since the introduction of the program, our team has hosted over 10 tabling sessions in partnership with local businesses, including Hulu and RPA, as well as ofce parks, including the Colorado Center and Water Garden. To date, the program has grown to include over 125 local riders, many of whom rely on their Bird for their day-to-day commutes. This program is designed to ensure that employees who work in Santa Monica have additional affordable opportunities to commute via Bird. Bird will also be relaunching our Business Coupon program in spring 2021, enabling businesses operating in Santa Monica the opportunity to purchase ride coupons on behalf of their employees. The program will assist companies with reaching their City of Santa Monica Transportation Demand Management goals, for more information please see page 189.
Engaging with Non-English Speakers Approximately 30% of households in Santa Monica speak a language other than English at home. In recognition of the diverse language needs and unique cultural landscapes, we translate our marketing materials into multiple languages, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, French and Mandarin. Our team
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 160 distributes these materials to community-based organizations across the city, such as the Pico Youth & Family Center and the Familias Latinas Unidas (a self-organized group of Latinx families that host public events and activities in Pico). Bird also hires multilingual representatives and ensures our local feld staff is linguistically and culturally competent, enabling us to host multilingual community outreach events and safety trainings. Bird also distributes multilingual brochures with sign-up information and local rules at hotels and Travel and Tourism locations to reach the city’s international visitors. Over 50% of Santa Monica’s yearly visitors come from outside of the U.S., with a large percentage visiting from Germany, China, Italy, Mexico and France. We prioritize translating our materials into these country’s respective languages. For more information, please see iii. Strategies to disseminate information in multiple languages below:
Flyer promoting Bird’s Community Pricing, non-smartphone and cash payment options in Spanish iii. Strategies to disseminate information in multiple languages
Bird uses the following strategies to disseminate information in multiple languages, working with community partners and members of the ethnic press so that our efforts are relevant, culturally sensitive, and effective in engaging a diverse group of Santa Monica residents (ex: Familias Las Unidas Santa Monica) and international visitors. These strategies mirror successful strategies we’ve implemented in Chicago and San Francisco.
Strategy Detail
Bird App Santa Monica is a world-class travel destination and welcomes over 5 million visitors from outside the U.S. annually. This is why we have heavily invested in our
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 161 in-app languages. The Bird app is currently available in 36 languages and includes educational messaging and as well as the rules of the road.
Multilingual Ethnic, multicultural and alternative media and digital infuencer engagement, with a Digital focus on multilingual communities to assist with additional low-income sign-ups. Advertising Bird continually invests in national PSAs on transit shelters, subways, buses and trains to promote proper parking and safe riding in cities throughout the U.S.
Promotion on Bird has, and will continue to, promote safety communication via the Big Blue Bus in City-Owned collaboration with the City of Santa Monica. In 2018 and 2019, Bird partnered with Assets as the City and Big Blue Bus to promote educational messaging around the city and on Permitted buses.
Customer Service Our website, call center and mobile app services are currently available in 36 Channels languages including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, German, and Mandarin. As part of our focus on ensuring universal access to our service, we work closely with Santa Monica to expand language offerings to refect the communities we serve and will add any additional languages at the request of the City.
On-Scooter Hang We will attach hang tags to scooters upon the re-launch of our service with Tags multilingual instructions and promotional codes.
Flyers Bird will distribute multilingual materials at the city’s libraries, community centers, local organizations, tourist centers, local churches and hotels. We previously put up Spanish fyers at Virginia Avenue Park in the Pico neighborhood to raise awareness around our Community Pricing plan.
Online Email and social media communications in partnership with the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Buy Local, Santa Monica Mirror, and others.
Information on Key information and marketing materials are available in multiple languages. Bird’s Website
iv. Public information and education to users and non-users regarding fling complaints or other issues
With consistent and persistent community engagement we keep the lines of communication open, and provide access to Bird-allowing the community to discuss with us directly how to improve our service. In addition to community engagement, we provide the following methods for riders or the community to contact us for more information or to deliver concerns or complaints: ● On-Scooter: Every Bird includes a safety decal with easily visible contact information that members of the public can use to ask questions, or to report safety concerns or complaints. This information includes our 24-hour toll free phone number and email address. These decals are also offered in
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 162 braille and/or raised lettering to ensure the information is accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. ● Flyers: During community engagement events, Bird distributes informational fyers that include information on how to contact Bird and/or fle complaints. ● In-App: The “Help” tab provides information on how to contact Bird to report a complaint, including our 24-hour toll free phone number. Our app also features an issue submit form, further details on Community Mode can be found on page 165. ● Online: Users and non-users can access contact information on our website at https://www.bird.co/contact-us/.
See 184 for more information on our complaint resolution process.
Flyer promoting Bird Community Mode
For more information on our customer service channels, please refer to page 184. v. Community complaint technologies
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 163 To make it easy for any member of the community to provide us feedback, ask questions or report an issue, we ofer a multitude of multilingual, low- or zero-friction engagement opportunities accessible to both riders and non-riders. These include:
Phone Number 1-866-205-2442. Our stafed, toll-free Customer Service line provides support 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. It also accommodates TTY relay services.
Website http://www.bird.co Our Website adheres to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. Riders can select a pre-built disability profle, for example, the “Visually Impaired Profle” to help them browse more easily and can make adjustments like changing font sizes or color contrasts (Appendix 11).
Email [email protected]
Twitter @BirdRide
Instagram @Bird
Online Form http://www.bird.co/contact-us
Community Mode In-app feature that enables riders and non-riders to report complaints such as irresponsible riding or improper parking in real time. See page 165 for details.
Ride Ratings System We ask riders to rate our service at the end of each trip. Rides earning fewer than four stars prompt additional input and follow up from our team.
Bird App Reviews Bird monitors reviews of the Bird app on the Apple and Google Play app stores. Our customer service team responds to any negative reviews to request additional details. This feedback is then shared with the appropriate team at Bird to action. For example, a complaint about a glitch with the app would be shared with our Product team.
In-Person Community Engagement Bird hosts multiple community engagement events each month (see page 145), providing
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 164 residents the opportunity to report complaints to our teams directly. We periodically distribute surveys during these events to gather additional feedback on our service. Bird will also pilot Community Cofee sessions with City Councilmembers to reach a majority of Santa Monica’s residents.
Nextdoor Bird will create a business page on the app Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods that connects locals with nearby businesses and services. Santa Monica residents will be able to connect directly with Bird’s customer service team through our page.
Rider Surveys Bird will continue to conduct rider surveys via email as well as survey community organizations to gather ongoing qualitative feedback to inform program improvements and adjustments. Surveys will be conducted at a minimum of every three months.
311 Bird partners with cities around the world, including the City of Los Angeles, to improve response time to reports and integrate with 311 non-emergency systems and we would be happy to work with Santa Monica’s recently launched 311 system. In addition to quick response times, Bird is deeply invested in building out a program of educational and technological tools around education and safe riding.
“I’ve used Community Mode to report poor parking and other issues, and Bird has been very responsive.” Ted Winterer, Councilmember, City of Santa Monica
Spotlight: Community Mode Our in-app Community Mode feature allows both riders and non-riders to report complaints such as irresponsible riding or improper parking in real time. Concerns fagged in Community Mode are addressed immediately, and repeat offenders can have their accounts suspended or terminated by Bird’s Trust and Safety team. Our local team also makes regular visits to Neighborhood Councils throughout Santa Monica to listen, and share ways to contact Bird directly, to resolve issues in our community. We’ve met, emailed, and participated in community meetings with all of Santa Monica’s neighborhood organizations and provided in-depth instruction on how both users and non-users can utilize Community Mode to communicate with Bird.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 165 vi. In-app messaging and education features
We have identifed the following three efective education tools, which we recommend the City of Santa Monica require all operators deliver to ensure cohesive training across platforms. Safety School: Bird augments our video, in-app and online safety education with the administration of Safety School, an in-person, how-to-ride safety and training program. We partner with leading local riders and safety advocates who have experience with the area’s trafc and street environment and we will conduct trainings at least once a month in strict adherence with COVID-19 guidelines. During the events, Bird educates riders about local laws governing the safe operation and parking of devices, hands out free helmets, and distributes ride credits for new riders who engage in our safety quizzes and demonstrations. We look forward to continuing to host these trainings in various neighborhoods throughout the city including Downtown, Pico, Main Street, Montana, Mid City, and Wilshire. By the end of 2021, we plan to host eight of Safety School events reaching a target minimum of 500 riders with direct safety and rider education engagement. Multi-Operator Education Campaigns: We promote safety messaging and information using billboards, street signage and paid advertisements. In Chicago, we partnered with the local transit authority (CTA) on 30″ x 96″ bus media ads coupled with digital bus shelter display ads that featured safety messaging. In D.C., we encourage sign-ups for our low-income pricing programs at Metro stations. In Nashville, we ran two 20-foot billboards on the side of Bridgestone Arena for four months to remind riders how to use the bike lane, park responsibly and wear a helmet. We recommend an “all operators'' campaign in Santa Monica featured in high-trafc areas on bus shelters, billboards, buses and scafolding wraps. This should cover key educational messaging around no sidewalk riding, no riding under the infuence and the important use of helmets.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 166 Mandatory In-App Rider Tutorial with Quiz: First-time riders are required to watch an illustrative riding and parking tutorial depicting Santa Monica-specifc rules and regulations. At the request of the City of Santa Monica, Bird will distribute Public Service Announcement videos in the app. Upon completion, riders take a quiz to ensure understanding. Bird initiates additional safety quizzes every 10 rides to ensure continued awareness and compliance. In Chicago, for example, 76,000 riders took a safety quiz with a 91% pass rate. Those who did not pass the safety quiz were provided tailored educational materials before they could start their ride. During the relaunch, Bird will promote a Rider Safety Quiz across all social media channels, rewarding participants for the month of July 2021 with $10 in ride credits. Bird uses the following additional tools and strategies to ensure safe and proper use of our feet: Email, Social Media and Pop-Up Reminders: We deliver regular, consistent and updated ongoing safety directives and education regarding the proper and safe use of our scooters via email, social media, push notifcations and pop-up reminders. The in-app pop-ups require riders to acknowledge and afrmatively dismiss them in order to proceed. The informational pop-ups for Santa Monica will include, but not be limited to, reminders that scooters are not permitted aboard Metro or Big Blue Bus, and riding is not permitted on the 3rd St Promenade, Palisades Park, Pier and other locations throughout the city. Bird will also implement a recurring pop-up reminder every time a rider opens the app, warning them sidewalk riding is illegal and unsafe. Beginner Mode: Our in-app Beginner Mode feature slows acceleration and speed limit, and provides new riders additional guidance on how to ride. Beginner Mode enables riders to gradually build riding skills at their own pace, making scooters more accessible to frst-time riders and unlocking greater mobility for everyone. Follow-Up Education: Our app provides follow-up education to riders prior to every ffth ride, which is both interactive and tailored to rider history, time of day and location. For example, on a Friday or Saturday night, a rider is likely to receive a reminder about the importance of riding sober. Pledge Cards: Bird uses virtual Pledge Cards to help educate riders on local laws and regulations. The cards are presented to riders via an in-app pop-up, requesting that they read and then pledge to abide by each rule. Over 600,000 riders in cities such as Portland, D.C. and Atlanta have taken the pledge. We will launch a pledge campaign in Santa Monica in June as people once again surge the beach. On-Vehicle Messaging: We promote key safety rules and messages, such as “Always Wear a Helmet,” “ID Required,” “No Sidewalk Riding”, and “18+ Years Old” on all of our vehicles. Messaging is complemented with images to help increase comprehension and also available in braille. Lastly, Bird will continue to ofer a mandatory video that expressly instructs riders where they can and cannot ride; a pop-up reminder every time a user opens the app that riding on the sidewalk is illegal; and educational materials, in multiple languages, on this topic at all our community events.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 167 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 168 vii. Public education marketing programs
Public Safety for riders and non-riders is the foundation of all of our integrated marketing campaigns.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 169 1. Learn-to-Ride Events and Helmet Giveaways: Bird frequently hosts Learn To Ride Events with local community organizations, such as We Keep You Rollin’ in Chicago to introduce new riders to Bird. We follow all health and safety protocols and invite riders to safely try out scooters, learn proper parking and pass out free helmets and information on our discount programs. To drive attendance we partner with local community groups, cycling clubs or local businesses where we might also ofer an ice cream or slice of pizza. 2. Safety School for Motorists: As described in 121, this year, Bird launched https://www.bird.co/safety-school/, which is the frst micromobility-sponsored program to teach motorists how to share the road with cyclists, e-scooters and pedestrians. The curriculum includes a series of animated instructional videos as well as quizzes. 3. Ramp Champ Campaign: Bird is proud to be the frst micromobility operator to launch a national campaign to educate riders about the importance of not blocking ADA access with parked vehicles. This campaign, developed with consultation from the Ofce of Disability Rights in Washington D.C., and multiple advocacy groups for people with disabilities, includes out-of-home advertising on transit shelters as well as in-app messaging to all riders. We will bring this campaign to Santa Monica during summer 2021. 4. Out of Home PSA Advertising Campaigns: Bird has a national PSA campaign to promote safe riding, responsible parking as well as equity pricing programs. As of this writing the campaign is currently live in Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City, Miami, with other markets launching in April and others recently wrapped including Chicago, Portland, and San Diego. We plan to launch this campaign throughout Santa Monica in May. 5. S.H.A.R.E. Events: Bird has a series of S.H.A.R.E. events and in-app education messaging to incentivize proper parking, safe riding and good behavior. During the events, Bird educates riders about local laws governing the safe operation and parking of devices, hands out free helmets and distributes ride credits for new riders who engage in our safety quizzes and demonstrations. We will partner with local organization to calendar S.H.A.R.E. events in Santa Monica throughout the summer during peak tourist season. 6. Bird Connect Virtual Workshops: Throughout the past year, Bird has conducted dozens of virtual workshops with cities, advocacy groups, neighborhood organization and educational partners around subjects ranging from data principles to safety policy to how to improve parking. Most recently, Bird hosted a virtual workshop with Professor Narelle Harworth, CARRS-Q, the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland and Professor Chris Cherry from the University of Tennessee to share fndings on best practices for micromobility safety programs. As of April 2021, we are in discussions with Santa Monica Spoke (a community-based volunteer-run organization dedicated to improving biking in Santa Monica) and Community Corp (a nonproft organization that restores, builds, and manages afordable housing in Santa Monica) to explore opportunities to safely host Safety School sessions while meeting current gathering regulations. Our goal is to have bi-monthly events with both organizations that we will promote in local papers and nonproft newsletters. Bird is also ofering an on-demand, online version of Safety School while COVID-19 limits in-person events in certain cities. Bird will also continue to provide local education by working with neighborhood groups, schools and organizations to host events such as our Connect Series, where we distribute materials educating riders on
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 170 best practices. For more information on our community engagement events in Santa Monica, please see page 145.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 171 9. AFFORDABILITY: Briefly describe your plan to ensure that shared mobility systems remain affordable for all users as a viable mode of transportation, and provide access opportunities for users from every socio-economic level. a. Do you agree to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.6.3 of the Administrative Regulations? Yes, Bird agrees to meet (and commits to exceeding) the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.6.3 of the Administrative Regulations for the Shared Mobility Pilot program. b. What unique strategies are you offering beyond the minimum requirements and why are they effective? This could include but is not limited to:
Shared mobility options in Santa Monica must be accessible to all, regardless of location, disability or socio-economic standing. It is for this reason that Bird is proud to offer a portfolio of accessible vehicles and low- to no-cost payment options that help address the challenges incurred by disabled, low-income, unbanked and/or underrepresented riders. Below is a detailed list of our current and future community pricing offerings for the wide range of users in Santa Monica. We are confdent in the effectiveness of these offerings because we work with our global community of riders and community organizations daily to tailor these offerings to be responsive to their needs. In Santa Monica, we will put an emphasis on improving the efcacy of our existing programs and look to test and deliver new oferings that adapt to changing community needs and program learnings. i. Fare structure, including any frequent-rider membership options Fare Structure
Rates Details
Standard (current) $1 to unlock, plus a per minute fee of $0.39.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 172 Bird Community Bird Community Pricing provides 50% off our standard unlock and Pricing (expanded) per minute fee. Eligible riders include: ● Low-income residents; ● Seniors; ● Students with Pell Grants (SMC students); ● Veterans; and ● Employees of pre-approved community-based organizations and nonprofts like Heal the Bay, Community Corp Santa Monica, and Sustainable Works. To sign up, riders must email proof of eligibility to [email protected]. Approval takes approximately two to three business days. Bird will partner with the City on other eligibility requirements important to Santa Monica. Bird works closely with the Community Corporation of Santa Monica to ensure everyone has access to our service. 417 people are currently enrolled in this program in Santa Monica. The average ride fare for people enrolled in our Santa Monica Community Pricing program is $2.19, compared to our average fare price of $8.20. We aim to triple the number of program participants in the new Shared Mobility Pilot Program.
Healthcare Workers As part of our commitment to support communities during the COVID-19 Program COVID-19 pandemic, Bird provides free rides to healthcare workers (current) and emergency personnel nationwide.
Eligible riders can sign up by emailing a copy of their medical identifcation card to [email protected]. Riders will receive two free 30-minute rides per day. To date, nearly 1,500 healthcare personnel have enrolled in the program and have taken more than 8,000 rides.
Santa Monica Resident As requested by City Councilmember Oscar de la Torre at a council Passes (new) meeting in March 2021, Bird will offer a yearly ride pass to all Santa Monica residents. Eligibility will be determined using AU10TIX, our driver license scan tool. Similar to the Big Blue Bus annual pass, eligible residents will be able to purchase a yearly pass for $500. This will be an exclusive offering for Santa Monica.
Ride Passes (new) Designed to match the affordability of the Big Blue Bus, we will offer a variety of fexible passes that allow riders to access a variety of savings
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 173 Weekly Pass: $1.99 for free unlocks Monthly Pass: $4.99 for free unlocks
Bird can offer additional options, such as an hourly or annual ride pass, if requested by the City.
Frequent Flyers (current) Bird rides in Santa Monica more than double during commuting hours, as compared to other hours of the day. We worked with Santa Monica College students to design our new Frequent Flyer program (see 107) to help the City increase mode shift during commuting hours, decrease trafc congestion and improve air quality for all residents.
Riders enrolled in Bird’s Frequent Flyer program accumulate rewards starting at fve rides per month. This membership program is free to enroll, and Bird’s Frequent Flyers enjoy rewards including: ● Free unlocks during commuting hours (e.g., 7 a.m. – 9 a.m./4 p.m. – 6 p.m.). ● Free reservations, held for up to 60 minutes. ● Between 20% – 30% discount for all rides. ● Points for every trip that connects to public transit, earning ride credits and incentives along the way.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 174 As of April 2021 we had 4,194 riders in Gold Frequent Flyer Status and 2,372 riders in Silver Frequent Status in Santa Monica. We expect these numbers to continue climbing as reopening continues. During the next pilot we plan to continue promoting this program to get more people to take sustainable mobility over car trips and save money while doing so. Our goal for the Second Shared Mobility Pilot is to have 20,000 active riders in our Frequent Flyer program by the end of this year.
Bird Business Credit Before the pandemic, two out of every three local Bird riders used our Program (expanded) service to commute, while approximately 65% of Santa Monica workers drove to work. To meet this demand and reinforce our commitment to sustainable transportation, we worked closely with large businesses across Santa Monica, including Snap, Inc., HBO, HULU, and Lionsgate, to our business subscription program to enable local businesses to purchase ride coupons for their employees to encourage eco-friendly commuting via Bird.
The program can be customized to meet individual company budgets and preferences (e.g., weekday rides only). In addition, recognizing that Bird rides may represent only one part of each company’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program strategy, Bird invoices local businesses for rides that are actually taken each month, up to the maximum amount specifed by each company. To encourage adoption among employees, Bird offers bonus rider credits to each employee for any month in which 75% of credits are redeemed. Bird would also be happy to work with the City of Santa Monica if this is something they are interested in exploring to help decrease VMT for city employees.
The program was paused in 2020 due to the pandemic as ofces closed and employees transitioned to remote work. Bird will relaunch the program in spring 2021, providing employees with a naturally, socially distanced form of transportation as they move back into the workplace while helping employers meet Transport Demand Management targets related to reducing commuter driving.
Free Rides to Vaccinations We now offer two free rides to any city vaccination site and will continue (current) to do so as vaccinations become available to the broader population.
Roll to the Polls (annually) It is estimated that nearly 4.5 million Americans were unable to vote in the
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 175 2016 presidential election due to transportation barriers. In November 2020, Bird partnered with the North American Bikeshare Association’s Roll to the Polls initiative and provided free rides to the polls to help riders throughout the country exercise their right to vote.
Roll to the Polls benefts will be made available to Santa Monica riders each November and for special elections as deemed appropriate in partnership with the City.
Free Rides for Teachers As thousands of teachers and families were struggling to work through (seasonally) the academic challenges posed by COVID-19, Bird launched our Free Rides for Teachers program to say thank you and to help. The program offered teachers up to two 30-minute rides per day. for teachers and school staff for the month of April as they return to classrooms.
Bird for Good (current) Transportation access should not hinder one from giving back to their community and participating in community service opportunities. We encourage riders to give back to their city through Bird for Good. Bird for Good incentivizes riders to participate in current service projects or create their own. Current projects include picking up litter or planting vegetables in a community garden. Riders who share their project on social media with the hashtag #BirdForGood will receive a $5 ride credit.
Bike to Work Day (annually) Bird has participated in Bike to Work Day over the past few years in Santa Monica. We will continue to support the efort of encouraging local residents to shift commuting behaviors by ofering free ride unlocks between 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on future Bike to Work Days (May 21, 2021).
Clean Air Day (annually) On Clean Air Day (September 7, 2021) Bird will ofer ride credits to any rider who takes Bird’s clean air pledge and rides a Bird vs using a car on this day.
Coupons/Incentives to As described on page 107, Community Rebalancing incentivizes riders to improve access to end trips in designated parking spots to keep city streets orderly while community and cultural helping us to reduce VMT and improve the sustainability of our operations events and rebalancing in Santa Monica. (throughout the year) For example, to promote safe parking we created designated parking corrals for Twilight Concert Series where riders received Bird credit for parking in appropriate areas. Additionally, we are passionate about supporting local businesses—particularly those struggling to recover from
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 176 the dramatic impacts of COVID-19 on the economy. We offer incentives for ending trips near local Santa Monica Businesses.
Bird Rider Score Program In 2020, we launched our Rider Score program, combining all perk and (ongoing) loyalty programs and features to deliver Bird riders a simple score. Riders who ride responsibly receive rewards and incentives, including free unlocks, ride credits and discounts. Riders with lower scores receive targeted education and feedback to help them improve. Factors that infuence scores include: ● Parking ● Sidewalk riding ● Rides during commuting hours ● Frequency of rides ● Interactions with educational material and quizzes (sent after every 10 rides) ● Helmet selfes (page 115) ● Connection with public transit using interoperable trip planning or payment systems ● Participation in Bird for Good (page 176) or other local volunteering efforts
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 177 ii. Commitment to not exceed a maximum fare price Commitment to Fare Transparency Bird remains committed to maintaining a reliable and affordable service for all Santa Monica residents and visitors. Our pricing will not exceed a maximum fare price, as determined in partnership with the City and local community stakeholders. This includes various Uber/Lyft trips around Santa Monica to ensure we are always 30% below the cost of ride hailing. We are constantly monitoring transportation pricing across diferent services to ensure we remain accessible and afordable for all. We will work with the City on a maximum price structure as the cost recovery fees for the program are discussed at the Santa Monica Budget Meeting in June. We have and will continue to deliver affordable and transparent pricing to all users. All price changes are clearly communicated to riders through in-app push notifcations and banners. Pricing is also displayed prior to the start of the ride. At any time, riders can view pricing for their current location under the app’s “Payments” tab. Pricing information is also clearly outlined in both ride receipts that are sent at the conclusion of every ride as well as in a user’s ride history. iii. Strategies to ensure fares remain affordable for all users, and cheaper than other automobile options like ride hailing services
Bird will ensure that fares remain affordable for all users in Santa Monica by committing to transparency about fare adjustments and providing access opportunities for riders at every socio-economic level. Bird will meet or exceed the equity requirements in the Administrative Guidelines, including but not limited to the following: ● Bird will notify the City and users of any fare changes 14 days in advance of changes taking effect. Further, to this end, we also commit to inform the City in the event we are performing price testing or calibration exercises. ● Bird will continue to establish and promote low-income qualifed rates. ● Bird will continue to offer our non-smart phone unlock option, which uses text to unlock technology. ● Bird will continue to provide payment options for unbanked community members, including a pay-near-me option and the use of prepaid debit cards. ● Bird will provide frequent-rider annual or monthly membership options, and maintain affordable by-the-minute rates that are less expensive than taxi, ride hailing or other vehicle options. Low-income qualifed rates will be easily accessible from the sign-up homepage in the Bird app and website. Details on these programs are provided on page 173. We know that Bird has the potential to greatly improve mobility in Santa Monica, but only if we remain a viable and afordable transportation option for all. This is why we’re committed to keeping the cost of Bird trips low. Our mission to make cities more livable by reducing car usage and carbon emissions can only be realized if everyone has access to our service. Bird strongly supports Santa Monica's goal to ensure that 50% of all local trips are made on-foot, scooter or bike by 2030. We’re proud to be the only at-scale global operator not encumbered by a confict of interest related to increasing automobile use. In fact, over the past three-plus years, our local team has regularly monitored transportation fares to guarantee that Bird is signifcantly more afordable than ride-hailing services
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 178 in Santa Monica (see images below for 1.6 mile trip example). By keeping the cost of our service at least 30% below the cost of taking an Uber or Lyft, we know we can help meaningfully reduce car trips in our home city. This is an important commitment, and we will continue to work closely with City staff to ensure that it is always executed correctly.
Lyft Trip Cost: Uber Trip Cost: Bird Trip Cost: $7.43 $7-9 $4.38
In a survey conducted in January and February here in Santa Monica, 57% of the 3,061 respondents stated they reduced ride hail usage since starting to ride e-scooters2 .
2https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/PCD/Transportation/SharedMobility_UserSurveySummary_20190509_FINAL. PDF
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 179 iv. Strategies to promote low-income programs, or special fares.
Bird will employ the following strategies to ensure members of the community are aware of and sign up for discounted customer plans: Email and In-App: We use monthly emails, in-app messaging (at sign-up and monthly) and regular push notifcations to promote Bird Community pricing, reaching 150,000+ riders to date. Online and Social Media: Plan information is always available on bird.co and is regularly promoted via our social media. We also advertise with media outlets, such as the Santa Monica Daily Press, and local organizations like Community Corporation of Santa Monica and Step up on Second to highlight Bird Community online. For example, Community Corporation of Santa Monica recently shared enrollment details for residents on their social media.
Santa Monica Daily Press banner advertising Bird’s Community Pricing
Awareness Campaigns: Building on our experience partnering with transit agencies and services such as CTA (Chicago), Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica) and TriMet (Portland), we will create billboards highlighting Bird Community Plan in Santa Monica specifcally in the Pico and Mid-City neighborhoods. Pop-Up Events: In accordance with COVID-19 regulations, Bird will host and attend local events to raise awareness of our resources. Events and organizations we have and will continue to partner with include: Santa Monica Spoke, Heal the Bay, Sustainable Works, Santa Monica City College, Santa Monica’s Business Improvement Districts, Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, PAL, and more. During the pandemic, we continued to promote our low-income plan by launching a partnership with Community Corporation of Santa Monica and through our various communication channels via social media and email to our city partners. Flyers: Bird distributes hundreds of multilingual fyers promoting our discount program at neighborhood locations such as farmers markets and libraries, including the Main and Virginia Ave Branch. Each scooter will also have a hang tag providing information on how to access our low-income plan. Multilingual Marketing and Promotion: We translate our materials into multiple languages, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, French and Mandarin. Our team distributes this information to organizations such as City’s seven neighborhood associations, nonprofts Familas Unidas Santa Monica for example, and at all community events we participate throughout the year.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 180
Cash for Bird Bird ofers riders a simple and easy-to-use cash payment option: Credits 1. Riders fnd a participating retailer, using either the Bird app or our website. 2. At the store, riders open the “Payment” tab in the Bird app to access their unique barcode. 3. Cashier scans the barcode, takes payment, and adds it to the rider’s Bird account. 4. Bird balance is updated immediately and ready to use. Our cash payment option is available at 13 retail locations in the Santa Monica area including 7-Eleven and CVS.
App-Integrated Bird offers PayPal as an additional payment option in the Bird app. Doing so Payment Options extends the reach and availability of Bird vehicles to those who may not have, or may not prefer using, a personal bank or credit card. PayPal’s open digital payment platform offers fnancial service access to more than 325 million individuals. Bird’s integration with PayPal provides access to the world’s most advanced sustainable devices and is currently used by 11% of our riders. In addition to PayPal, the Bird app is fully integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 182 Prepaid Debit Riders can purchase prepaid American Express, Mastercard and Visa cards Cards with cash from retailers across Santa Monica. Riders can add their prepaid debit card as their payment option within the Bird app or when providing their payment information for Bird’s text-to-ride service.
“Every micromobility rider is different, so it’s our responsibility to ensure we’re providing them with the options that best meet their diverse needs. During our initial PayPal rollout, we saw 20% of new riders opting to make it their preferred payment of choice. Our fndings suggest these kinds of expanded payment methods have a positive impact, unlocking micromobility for millions more riders worldwide.” Brendan O’Driscoll , Vice President, Product Management at Bird
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 183 10. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Briefly describe your plan to provide responsive customer service to riders and non-rider community members that creates a positive experience and quickly resolves and tracks issues.
a. Do you agree to meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.7 of the Administrative Regulations?
Yes, Bird agrees to meet or exceed the minimum requirements outlined in Section 4.7 of the Administrative Regulations for the new Shared Micromobility Pilot Program as we have done, in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, over the past three-plus years. b. What unique strategies are you offering beyond the minimum requirements and why are they effective? This could include but is not limited to: i. Different modes of customer service complaint delivery (I.e. customer service call line, in-app communications, social media, etc.)
Bird is committed to receiving and rapidly responding to community feedback in Santa Monica, whether from riders, community organizations, City ofcials or the general public. To effectively manage customer service issues, we ofer a suite of proven, 24/7, multilingual, low- or zero-friction contact options available via phone, text, email, social media, online and in-app. A full breakdown has been provided below.
Bird’s global team is available to respond to issues 24/7. On average, general customer service issues are responded to within minutes and no longer than one hour, while ADA-related issues are fagged for priority and responded to within 15 minutes. Over the past three-plus years, Bird response times have gone from . All reports are followed up on to learn how we performed and how we can improve. Each report/issue/complaint is logged and categorized using and our Rider Success, City Success and local market teams analyze the data to identify and size emerging trends. We also provide a resolution update to the individual reporting the issue.
In Santa Monica, our team of locally based Bird employees means support is always available when needed. Our local, in-market team regularly performs spot checks and cleanups around the city to ensure
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 184 vehicles are upright, well parked and not blocking access ramps. When employees see an issue that needs additional support, it is immediately fagged internally in our Santa Monica Fleet Manager Slack channel.
During the next pilot, we will provide the City with regular reports for Santa Monica-specifc complaints and feedback to demonstrate our commitment to improvement and transparency. These reports will troubleshoot anything that might be hindering the success of the program and/or highlight and scale strategies that are working well. When necessary for the public good, we will also share this feedback with adjacent cities and other mobility operators in Santa Monica. Bird is fully committed to working together to ensure the success of Santa Monica’s Shared Mobility Pilot Program.
Phone Number 1-866-205-2442. Our stafed, toll-free Customer Service line provides support 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. It also accommodates TTY relay services.
Website http://www.bird.co Our Website adheres to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. Riders can select a pre-built disability profle, for example, the “Visually Impaired Profle” to help them browse more easily and can make adjustments like changing font sizes or color contrasts (Appendix 11).
Email [email protected]
Twitter @BirdRide
Instagram @Bird
Online Form http://www.bird.co/contact-us
Community Mode In-app feature that enables riders and non-riders to report complaints such as irresponsible riding or improper parking in real time. See page 165 for details.
Ride Ratings System We ask riders to rate our service at the end of each trip. Rides earning fewer than 4 stars prompt additional input and follow up from our team.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 185 Bird App Reviews Bird monitors reviews of the Bird app on the Apple and Google Play app stores. Our customer service team responds to any negative reviews to request additional details. This feedback is then shared with the appropriate team at Bird to action. For example, a complaint about a glitch with the app would be shared with our Product team.
In-Person Community Engagement Bird hosts multiple community engagement events each month (see page 145), providing residents the opportunity to report complaints to our teams directly. We periodically distribute surveys during these events to gather additional feedback on our service. Bird will also pilot Community Cofee sessions with City Councilmembers to reach a majority of Santa Monica’s residents.
Nextdoor Bird will create a business page on the app Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods that connects locals with nearby businesses and services. Santa Monica residents will be able to connect directly with Bird’s customer service team through our page.
Rider Surveys Bird will continue to conduct rider surveys via email as well as survey community organizations to gather ongoing qualitative feedback to inform program improvements and adjustments.
311 Bird partners with cities around the world, including the City of Los Angeles, to improve response time to reports and integrate with 311 non-emergency systems and we would be happy to work with Santa Monica’s recently launched 311 system. In addition to quick response times, Bird is deeply invested in building out a program of educational and technological tools around education and safe riding.
ii. Strategies for complaint resolution in multiple languages
Santa Monica is an international destination, and Bird is committed to ensuring our comprehensive language oferings refect the diversity of our hometown community. Our website, 24-hour customer call center and mobile app services are currently available in 36 languages, including: Arabic, Bengali, Catalan, Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Taiwanese), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian (Norsk Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Panjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Over the last three years in Santa Monica, Bird’s customer service team received complaints or feedback in the following languages: English (97%), Spanish (1%), French (0.4%), Portuguese (0.4%), German (0.3%), and Other (0.9%).
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 186 iii. Customer service tracking and evaluation procedure. Responding to Complaints As described on page 184, when we receive a complaint or feedback via any of the aforementioned channels, our highly trained customer service team rapidly responds by taking the following actions:
Classify A customer service representative (CSR) creates a ticket in Zendesk, a leading global customer service software, that enables us to receive, log and resolve customer complaints within minutes. During initial intake, the complaint is categorized and all relevant details are logged. If needed, additional details from the submitter may be requested to more clearly understand the issue.
Route and The CSR refers the issue to the relevant Bird team for resolution. For example, they Resolve would coordinate with the local operations team for an issue such as a tipped or improperly parked device blocking the travel movement. Tickets involving or related to ADA-specifc issues are immediately escalated for expedited resolution. CSRs handle simple issues independently. When resolved, the CSR closes the ticket and follows up with the person who raised the issue to inform them of the resolution.
Educate In cases where rider behavior is an issue, such as unsafe riding or parking, the CSR follows Bird’s penalty structure (detailed on page 124) and will designate the rider to receive educational materials relevant to their behavior (such as an email or push notifcation on parking etiquette). For repeat violations, we issue escalating warnings and fnes, or even account terminations when warranted.
Serious Certain sensitive issues requiring additional care are escalated to Bird’s Trust and Safety Complaints team, which handles injury reports, property damage alerts, law enforcement requests and complicated matters. Upon receipt of a complaint, a member of the Trust and Safety team gathers information and evidence from the reporting party, as well as from Bird’s database, internal dashboard, and more. Complaints are organized into systematic categories for more prompt resolution. If warranted, the Trust and Safety team will escalate incidents to Bird’s insurance provider or the relevant local law enforcement authorities. Bird’s Trust and Safety team remains engaged for follow-up questions, investigation updates, and other information until a complaint is fully resolved directly with the reporting party. Santa Monica is one of Bird’s safest markets. Bird receives an incident that required medical treatment in Santa Monica on 0.00235% of rides vs. 0.00275% in the rest of the U.S.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 187 Customer Service Data for Santa Monica
Metric Description 2021
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 188 11. DATA:
a. Briefy describe your strategy for monitoring system effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and municipal relationships overtime.
“With their industry-leading investment in data-sharing infrastructure and personnel, their efforts to protect cities' right to transportation service data, and their work in helping create and advise the Open Mobility Foundation, Bird has done more than most providers to ensure that cities have visibility into how micromobility systems work on their streets. Populus shares their vision of an open and transparent micromobility system that supports cities' goals to prioritize safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation.” Regina Clewlow, CEO & Founder of Populus
a. Briefy describe your strategy for monitoring system effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and municipal relationships overtime. Bird’s nearly four years of operations in Santa Monica and around the world have enabled us to build a uniquely advanced and precise data infrastructure that monitors system effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and municipal relationships. By layering historical and real-time data into a comprehensive overview of Bird’s operational system, we successfully maximize the number of rides each vehicle receives per day in an effort to help cities meet their shared mobility utilization goals. This data is then shared with city partners via APIs, Dashboards, and customized reports to create an open conversation and productive conversations about our operational performance and how well we are meeting the city’s micromobility transportation goals.
System Effectiveness Bird’s business goal—to replace as many car trips as possible every day—is well aligned with our riders’ desire for accessible mobility options and Santa Monica’s goal of reducing emissions from short trips. We action on our data to ensure vehicles are deployed where and when riders need them, and rebalanced to locations of highest potential demand. Our predictive maintenance models alert us when vehicles are likely to need service, decreasing the chance a rider may have a bad experience with one of our vehicles.
Realizing Unfulflled Demand The core of Bird’s data system is our vehicles. Bird vehicles report their data is processed in real time, which provides local, in market teams and centralized systems with the most accurate visibility
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 189 into the health and position of the feet. This “data pipeline” also powers our MDS and GBFS data, allowing cities to have the same real-time visibility as that of our internal operations teams.
Layered on top of this real-time visibility into the state of the system are analytical and data science products that allow us to tailor operations in real time to ensure we are best meeting rider demand.
One example is our analysis of “unfulflled demand.” By studying where riders have opened our app but not found a Bird nearby, we are able to further optimize future deployments to meet this otherwise unfulflled demand. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic completely altered rider behavior, our system automatically adjusted its supply recommendations to push vehicles towards where they were needed.
Another example is our commuter vs. tourist model. By understanding the breakdown of our riders we can better serve our different users and their unique needs. This model produces an aggregated, anonymized, breakdown of our rider types based on a variety of data points. We use information like this to inform what kind of pricing and promotions to offer and what kind of rider education is most impactful. For instance, as tourism begins to pick up again in a post-COVID world, we will be able to target messaging to tourists around off-limit areas our regular uses are already aware of, such as the 3rd Street Promenade and Beach Bike Path, whereas commuters may get targeted rider safety tips for commuting on Bird during rush hour. For residents who use Bird for regular commuting, we will help reduce cost by promoting Ride Pass and our Frequent Flyer campaigns whereas tourists are more likely to receive our frst-time rider promo.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 190 Customer Satisfaction Bird captures rider feedback after every ride with a prominent and universal star-based ride rating screen. We also constantly monitor app store reviews and social media to provide immediate responses and resolutions as well as to better understand customer sentiment. Our operations, product and data teams comb through this information to glean insights about how we can better serve our customers. In the past year, we have made the following product improvements as a direct result of customer feedback:
● Improve preload and preauthorization experience to ensure that riders better understand when and how they will be charged for their ride. ● Improve messaging and experience when encountering no-parking and no-ride areas to ensure that riders prepare to fnd appropriate parking locations.
Municipal Relationships Bird has prioritized data transparency and open conversation as the core of our municipal relationships.
Operationally, Bird has gone above and beyond to provide MDS data that is the most complete and transparent in the industry. Because the MDS was developed alongside the dawn of micromobility, there was a natural learning curve for both producers and consumers of this raw, unprocessed, data feed. Bird continues to engage openly and collaboratively with city partners to ensure there is a shared understanding of Bird’s data. We have also engaged with industry data aggregators such as RideReport, Populus and Remix to ensure that our data is the highest quality, and that we can work towards standardized metric and data defnitions for all cities.
Bird believes that by providing access to our data via APIs, dashboards, and custom reports, we can help the City of Santa Monica better understand and communicate the impact of the shared micromobility program over time and make adjustments on the data to optimize progress to the City’s goal. Bird is committed to helping Santa Monica achieve it’s emissions goals, and showing progress toward those specifc goals, as well as success at alleviating key program issues, will allow the program to continue and grow.
Insights Reporting Bird has developed a new, more detailed data dashboard for cities. This dashboard will allow Santa Monica to see not only the standard visualizations of feet size, trip frequency and distance, but also: ● Breakdown of tourist vs. commuter riders ● Percent of rides taken as frst rides, frequent rides, adventure rides, and group rides ● Heatmaps of most frequently ridden streets overlaid on Santa Monica’s bike network
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 191
As a current operator, Bird will continue to comply with the City’s data sharing requirements.
Bird also collects anonymized data on customer feedback and vehicle maintenance, using such data to improve or adjust our service to best meet the needs of the communities we serve. Application Program Interface Bird will provide accurate data through a publicly accessible API that meets the requirements of the GBFS as published online at https://github.com/NABSA/gbfs. Bird will make the GBFS API endpoint freely available to the public for viewing data, querying data and mapping. Bird will notify the City with at least 30 days' notice of any change to the API URL.
"Bird passed our Mobility Data Specifcation Audit, demonstrating that they consistently provide high-quality and trustworthy data that adheres to MDS and industry best practices. Through a track record of proactively working with cities by sharing high-quality data, Bird is a Ride Report Certifed Operator, one of only three operators worldwide to become one."
Michal Nakashimada, Head of Partnerships, Ride Report
Mobility Data Specifcation Bird will provide a City-accessible API that provides the data outlined in the below, and meets the requirements of the MDS as published online at: ● https://github.com/openmobilityfoundation/mobility-data-specifcation ● http://github.com/CityOfLosAngeles/mobilitv-data-specifcation We will make data available via the /status_changes endpoint no more than two (2) hours after the occurrence of a state change event and via the /trips endpoint no more than two (2) hours after the end of a trip. Bird acknowledges that the City may, in its sole discretion, require operator support for any optional and/or experimental feature of the MDS. Bird acknowledges that the City may, in its sole discretion, release updated versions of MDS and/or require operators to use a version of MDS designated by the City. Bird acknowledges that the City is permitted to use all data the operator provides in accordance with the MDS, including, but not limited to, displaying real-time device availability data to the public. We are proud of our city centric data sharing practices and the role we have taken to evangelize micromobility data sharing. Bird is an active participant in MDS, leading the OMF technical council and has contributed to establishing the specifcation standard. Bird hosts regular data workshops with city partners,
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 193 think tanks and advocacy groups. During the past six months, Bird has hosted virtual data sharing workshops with: Antwerp, Austin, BetaNYC, Brussels, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Milan, Minneapolis, NYU Gov Lab, Orlando, Rimini, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Walnut Creek, West Sacramento, Leister, Dundee, Kent and Canterbury. Bird has demonstrated its commitment to micromobility data-sharing through our advocacy efforts. Bird is a founding member of the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF), our employees are active committers to the MDS GitHub, and our representatives hold leadership positions on both the Technology Council and Privacy Committee of OMF. Bird invested its own resources into advancing state legislation to protect the right of cities like Santa Monica to receive shared micromobility data. In February 2020, we collaborated with the City of Santa Monica and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation on a joint policy statement emphasizing the need for local regulation and oversight of shared micromobility, including the right to receive shared micromobility data. In addition, at the Joint Senate Transportation and Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on micromobility data-sharing, where other micromobility providers and organizations urged the California Legislature to preempt cities from receiving shared micromobility data, Bird was the only micromobility provider to testify in favor of the cities. Bird is again working with the City of Santa Monica in 2021 to oppose another attempt at hindering data sharing under AB 859.
Reporting Bird will provide monthly report summaries by the second Thursday of each monthly in the format defned by the City. The monthly report summaries must include but are not limited to the following: 1. Total mobile-app downloads in Santa Monica each month 2. Total Active Users in Santa Monica each month 3. Total Users with 3 or more trips in Santa Monica each month 4. Total number of customers participating in low-income program in Santa Monica each month 5. Total number of rides taken by low-income program participants in Santa Monica each month 6. Total number of free or discounted helmets distributed each month 7. Summary of complaints and resolutions 8. Total number and type of injuries reported each month 9. Total number of unique devices deployed in Santa Monica each Month 10. Total number of devices services each month 11. Total number of devices lost, stolen, or missing each month 12. Total number of contracted workers employed each month (if applicable) 13. Vehicle Miles Traveled in redistribution, maintenance, and complaint response each month 14. Total number, time length, description, and participant counts of community engagement or outreach efforts 15. Total number and description of outreach ambassador hours worked Additionally, Bird would be happy to provide additional information to the city such as Trip (origin-destination), vehicle distribution, and parking analysis for program management and planning; Route
(GPS trip trace) analysis for planning; the number of frst-time riders; and C02 saved.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 194 Bird will assist and participate in the formal evaluation of the Second Pilot Program, including provision of data and information to inform subsequent City ordinances and programs. Bird acknowledges that the City may elect to adjust the reporting timeframes and format in its sole and complete discretion.
User Surveys Bird conducts surveys in Santa Monica every three (3) months to provide information to the City for future planning purposes. These surveys include questions concerning modeshift to determine what modes of transportation are being replaced in favor of shared mobility devices. Survey questions will be consistent across operators and determined in coordination with the City. Our most recent user survey was conducted in February, 2021 in partnership with the City of Santa Monica.
Data Security Bird is uncompromising in our protection of users’ personal information. We follow all local, state and federal laws and regulations with respect to personally identifable information and credit card information. Bird does not resell users’ personally identifable information. Internally, customer data is limited to only employees who require it for the purposes of their job.
The Industry’s Only Dedicated Data Security Team Bird is the only micromobility provider with a robust full-time team dedicated to vehicle security engineering, and developing new capabilities for detecting signs of data breaches and other types of security incidents. The team is responsible for assuring Bird’s proven record of vehicle and data security is pristine. To date, Bird has never suffered a malicious hack or data breach. Bird has 15 subject matter experts distributed across multiple teams dedicated to data security. ● Mobile App Security Team - ensures software and code developed by Bird follows secure development practices, and is reviewed for vulnerabilities. ● Vehicle Security Team - secures vehicle hardware and frmware to address the risk of dangerous hacking or tampering activity that could endanger riders. ● Infrastructure Security Team - focuses on securing systems that store Bird data, and detecting signs of potential hacker activity. ●
● Global Security Operations - provides physical security protections to ensure our data cannot be stolen by physical methods like burglary or vandalism.
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 195
Employee Education Every employee at Bird participates in mandatory security awareness training on their frst day at Bird to learn about data security threats like phishing. We provide on-going education for employees regarding signs of anomalous activity and best practices that optimize our ability to detect and respond to potential security incidents.
c. Provide your most recent third-party PCI audit. Certifed Protections for Customer Payment Data Bird is a certifed PCI Level 1 merchant and is audited annually by a third-party to confrm Bird’s compliance and that the specifc data security controls required by PCI regulation are in place. In 2020, third-party auditor NCC Group certifed Bird’s security controls and best practices and determined that Bird procedures are compliant with Level 1 PCI requirements. Every fnancial transaction is secure and PCI compliant, and all personal information is protected using industry standard encryption. Bird neither stores nor accesses credit card information. All sensitive payment information is handled entirely by a large third-party payment processor who implements PCI-DSS Level 1 controls. Bird will provide our most recent 3rd party PCI audits to the City bi-annually. Please see Appendix 9 for Bird’s PCI-DSS level 1 certifcation.
d. Briefy describe what, if any, user data you intend to collect and sell. And if so how this will this be communicated to users and how they will they be able to opt-out? We are committed to responsible data sharing with city and related partners, but do not and will not sell any customer data. We openly collect and share real-time ride data that does not enable anyone to associate a specifc rider with specifc tripswith city partners upholding GBFS and MDS standards with the intent to promote compliance, improve operations and complement transit planning. In addition to our own internal data responsibility framework, we uphold the CCPA, GDPR. Bird collects only the data needed to deliver our service and compliantly share data with cities. We collect the following user data as part of our rider onboarding process: device ID, user’s full name, birthdate, home address, email address, information from the user’s identifcation card, and credit card information. We inform our riders of exactly which data will be collected and advise them if opting out will impact their rider experience. For example, upon downloading the app we inform riders that we will use location services but it is only necessary to enable “while using the app” to achieve a strong rider experience. Establishing a holistic data responsibility framework is a key tenet of Bird’s operational model. For example, we tune the amount of data we collect and store for id verifcation to meet specifc market needs, collecting only the minimum necessary to ensure compliance. Our responsibility framework, which we have workshopped with cities and researchers across the country,such as Dr. Chris Cherry, University of Tennessee, and Dr. Megan Ryerson, University of Pennsylvania, is based on the following principles:
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 197 Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 198 12. FORMS
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 199
DocuSign Envelope ID: 55903841-4588-476B-94BD-6C253966CF5C
ATTACHMENT B
City of Santa Monica Non-Discrimination Policy Acknowledgment
A. Discrimination. Discrimination in the provision of services may include, but not be limited to the following:
(a) Denying any person any service, or benefit or the availability of a facility.
(b) Providing any service, or benefit to any person which is not equivalent, or in a non- equivalent manner or at a non-equivalent time, from that provided to others.
(c) Subjecting any persons to segregation or separate treatment in any manner related to the receipt of any service.
(d) Restricting any person in any way in the enjoyment of any advantage or privilege enjoyed by others receiving any service or benefit.
(e) Treating any person differently from others in determining admission, enrollment, quota, eligibility, membership, or any other requirement or condition which persons must meet in order to be provided any service or benefit.
(1) Consultant shall take affirmative action to ensure that intended beneficiaries of this Agreement are provided services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, AIDS or disability.
(2) Consultant shall further establish and maintain written procedures under which any person applying for or receiving services hereunder, may seek resolution from Consultant of a complaint with respect to any alleged discrimination in the provision of services by Consultant's personnel.
At any time any person applies for services under this Agreement, he or she shall be advised by Consultant of these procedures. A copy of these procedures shall be posted by Consultant in a conspicuous place, available and open to the public, in each of Consultant's facilities where services are provided hereunder.
B. Non-discrimination in Employment
(1) Consultant certifies and agrees that it will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, AIDS or disability in accordance with the requirements of City, State or Federal law. Consultant shall take affirmative action to ensure that qualified applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, AIDS or disability, in accordance with the requirements of City, State and Federal law. Such shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) Employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
(b) Selection for training, including apprenticeship.
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(2) Consultant agrees to post in conspicuous places in each of Consultant's facilities providing services hereunder, available and open to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this non-discrimination policy.
(3) Consultant shall, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of Consultant, state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, AIDS or disability, in accordance with the requirements of City, State or Federal law.
(4) Consultant shall send to each labor union or representative coworkers with which it has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding a notice advising the labor union or workers' representative of Consultant's commitments under this non-discrimination policy.
(5) Consultant certifies and agrees that it will deal with its sub-consultants, bidders, or vendors without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, AIDS or disability, in accordance with the requirements of City, State and Federal law.
(6) In accordance with applicable State and Federal law, Consultant shall allow duly authorized representatives of the County, State, and Federal government access to its employment records during regular business hours in order to verify compliance with this non- discrimination policy. Consultant shall provide other information and records as the representatives may require in order to verify compliance with this non-discrimination policy.
(7) If City finds that any of the provisions of this non-discrimination policy have been violated, the same shall constitute a material breach of agreement upon which City may determine to cancel, terminate, or suspend this Agreement. While City reserves the right to determine independently that this nondiscrimination policy has been violated, in addition, a determination by the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission or the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Consultant has violated State or Federal non- discrimination laws shall constitute a finding by City that Consultant has violated the provisions of this non-discrimination policy.
(8) The parties agree that in the event Consultant violates any of the non-discrimination policies set forth herein, City shall be entitled, at its option, to the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) pursuant to Civil Code Section 1671 as liquidated damages in lieu of canceling, terminating or suspending this Agreement.
(9) Consultant hereby agrees that it will comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), all requirements imposed by applicable Federal Regulations, and all guidelines and interpretations issued pursuant thereto, to the end that no qualified disabled person shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the Consultant receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
Bird Rides, Inc.
Signature/Date Name of Proposer
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ATTACHMENT C
NON-COLLUSION DECLARATION TO ACCOMPANY PROPOSALS OR BIDS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA } COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES }
Jonathan Adler , being first duly sworn, deposes, and says: that He is: Sr. Director, Public Policy (Insert “Sole Owner,” “A Partner”, “President,” “Secretary,” or other proper title)
of Bird Rides, Inc. (Insert name of proposer)
Who submits herewith to the City of Santa Monica the attached proposal; that He, She, It, or They is (are) the person(s) whose name(s) is (are) (strike out words not appropriate) signed to the hereto attached proposal; that said proposal is genuine; that the same is not sham or collusive; that all statements of fact therein are true; that such proposal was not made in the interest or on behalf of any person, partnership, company, association, organization or corporation not therein named or disclosed.
Declarant further deposes and says: that the proposer has not directly or indirectly by agreement, communication or conference with anyone attempted to induce action prejudicial to the interests of the public body which is to award the contract or of any other proposer, or anyone else interested in the proposed contract; that the proposer has not in any manner sought by collusion to secure for himself, herself, itself, or themselves, an advantage over any other proposer. (strike out words not appropriate)
Declarant further deposes and says that prior to the public opening and recording of proposals the said proposer:
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(a) Did not, directly or indirectly, induce or solicit anyone else to submit a false or sham Proposal; (b) Did not, directly or indirectly, collude, conspire, connive or agree with anyone else that said proposer or anyone else would submit a false or sham proposal, or that anyone should refrain from proposing or withdraw his/her proposal; (c) Did not, in any manner, directly or indirectly, seek by agreement, communication or conference with anyone to raise or fix any overhead, profit or cost element of his, her, its, their price, or of that of anyone else; and (d) Did not, directly or indirectly, submit his, her, its, or their proposal price or any breakdown thereof, or the contents thereof, or divulge information or data relative thereto, to any corporation, partnership, company, association, organization, depository, or to any member or agent thereof, or to any individual or group of individuals, except to the awarding authority or to any person or persons who have a partnership or other financial interest with said proposal in his, her, its, or their business. (strike out words not appropriate)
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Bird Rides, Inc.
Signature/Date Name of Proposer
11 DocuSign Envelope ID: 55903841-4588-476B-94BD-6C253966CF5C
ATTACHMENT D
CITY OF SANTA MONICA OAKS INITIATIVE NOTICE
NOTICE TO APPLICANTS, BIDDERS, PROPOSERS AND OTHERS SEEKING DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, CONTRACTS, OR OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica’s voters adopted a City Charter amendment commonly known as the Oaks Initiative. The Oaks Initiative requires the City to provide this notice and information about the Initiative’s requirements. You may obtain a full copy of the Initiative’s text from the City Clerk.
This information is required by City Charter Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection. It prohibits a public official from receiving, and a person or entity from conferring, specified personal benefits or campaign advantages from a person or entity after the official votes, or otherwise takes official action, to award a “public benefit” to that person or entity. The prohibition applies within and outside of the geographical boundaries of Santa Monica.
All persons or entities applying or receiving public benefits from the City of Santa Monica shall provide the names of trustees, directors, partners, and officers, and names of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation or revenue interest. An exception exists for persons serving in those capacities as volunteers, without compensation, for organizations exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3), (4), or (6), of the Internal Revenue Code. However, this exception does not apply if the organization is a political committee or controls political committees. Examples of a “public benefit” include public contracts to provide goods or services worth more than $25,000 or a land use approval worth more than $25,000 over a 12-month period.
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent interest in the entity. Therefore, if you are seeking a “public benefit” covered by the Oaks Initiative, you must supply that information on the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form. This information must be updated and supplied every 12 months.
12 DocuSign Envelope ID: 55903841-4588-476B-94BD-6C253966CF5C
CITY OF SANTA MONICA OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period; 2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-month period; 3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12- month period; 4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any 12- month period; 5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000; 6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-month period; or 7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit: NA
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
NA
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest: NA
Jonathan Adler Sr. Director, Public Policy Prepared by: Title:
4/8/2021 Signature: Date:
Email: [email protected] Phone: 866 205-2442
FOR CITY USE ONLY: Bid/PO/Contract # Permit #
13 DocuSign Envelope ID: 55903841-4588-476B-94BD-6C253966CF5C
ATTACHMENT E
INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE AGREEMENT
This Indemnification and Insurance Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into on ______, 2020, by and between the CITY OF SANTA MONICA, a municipal corporation (“City”) and ______Bird Rides, Inc. (“Operator”).
R E C I T A L S
A. City is a municipal corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of California with the power to carry on its business as it is now being conducted under the statutes of the State of California and the Charter of the City.
B. Operator is qualified to do business, and is doing business, in the State of California. Pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.22 (“Second Shared Mobility Device Pilot Program” or “Pilot Program”), City’s Director of Planning and Community Development selected Operator to receive a Shared Mobility Operator Permit (“Permit”) authorizing Operator to deploy Shared Mobility Devices within the City.
C. Under Santa Monica Municipal Code Sections 3.22.070(a) and (b), Operator’s participation in the Pilot Program and the issuance of the Permit is contingent on Operator executing an indemnification agreement and maintaining insurance coverage limits as determined by the City’s Risk Manager.
D. City and Operator desire to enter into this Agreement upon the terms and conditions set forth below.
NOW, THERFORE, it is mutually agreed by and between the undersigned parties as follows:
1. AGREEMENT TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND AND HOLD HARMLESS. Operator agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City, its officers, elected, or appointed officials, employees, agents, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, expenses, fines, penalties, judgments, demands, and defense costs (including, without limitation, actual, direct, out-of-pocket costs and expenses, and amounts paid in compromise, settlement, or judgment, and reasonable legal fees arising from litigation of every nature or liability of any kind or nature including civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) arising out of, in connection with, or which are in any way related to, the City’s issuance of or decision to approve a Permit, the process used by the City in making decisions relating to the issuance of a Permit, Operator’s participation in the Second Shared Mobility Device Pilot Program, Operator’s (including its officers, managers, employees, contractors, agents, and volunteers) business conduct and operations, any violation of any laws by the Operator (including its officers, managers, employees, contractors, agents, and volunteers) or its users, or any bodily injury including death or damage to property arising out of or in connection with any use, misuse, placement or mis- placement of any of the Operator’s devices or equipment by any person, except such loss or damage which was caused by the sole willful misconduct of the City. Operator will conduct all defenses at its sole cost and expense, and City shall reasonably approve selection of the counsel to represent City as proposed by Operator. This indemnity shall apply to all claims and liability regardless of whether any insurance policies of the Operator, its affiliates or any other parties are applicable thereto. The policy limits of any insurance of Operator, its affiliates or other parties are not a limitation upon the obligation of Operator, including without limitation, the amount of indemnification to be provided by Operator. The 14 DocuSign Envelope ID: 55903841-4588-476B-94BD-6C253966CF5C
provisions of this section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
2. INSURANCE. Operator agrees that, at no cost or expense to the City, at all times during the Operator’s participation in the Pilot Program, Operator will maintain the insurance coverage set forth in Exhibit “A” to this Agreement.
3. AMENDMENT/INTERPRETATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. This Agreement, including all Exhibits attached hereto, represents the entire understanding of the parties as to those matters contained herein. No prior oral or written understanding shall be of any force or effect with respect to those matters covered hereunder. No supplement, modification, or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both parties hereto. This Agreement shall not be interpreted for or against any party by reason of the fact that such party may have drafted this Agreement or any of its provisions.
4. SECTION HEADINGS. Section headings in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement for any other purpose.
5. WAIVER. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be binding unless in the form of a writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought, and no such waiver shall operate as a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver. Except as specifically provided herein, no failure to exercise or any delay in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall constitute a waiver thereof.
6. SEVERABILITY AND GOVERNING LAW. If any provision or portion thereof of this Agreement shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or otherwise unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California applicable to contracts made and to be performed in California.
7. NOTICES. All notices, demands and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered by hand or mailed certified or registered mail and addressed as follows:
If to Operator:
Bird Rides Inc., 406 Broadway #369, Santa Monica CA 90401
If to City:
City of Santa Monica, Mobility Division 1685 Main Street Room 115 Santa Monica, CA 90401
With a copy to:
Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office 1685 Main Street. Third Floor Santa Monica, CA 90401 Attention George S. Cardona, Interim City Attorney
8. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, which together shall constitute the same instrument.
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9. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERMINATION. This Agreement will be effective as of the date of the signature of City’s representative as indicated below in City’s signature block, and shall terminate as of the date that Operator’s Permit expires or is revoked. Operator’s indemnification obligations pursuant to Section 1 above shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
In witness whereof, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed the day and year first above written.
CITY OF SANTA MONICA, ATTEST: a municipal corporation
______DENISE ANDERSON-WARREN By: ______City Clerk LANE DILG Interim City Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______GEORGE S. CARDONA Interim City Attorney OPERATOR
By: ______
Name: ______Jonathan Adler
Title: Sr. Director, Public Policy
16
AGENCY CUSTOMER ID: CN120046401 LOC #: San Francisco
ADDITIONAL REMARKS SCHEDULE Page of 2
AGENCY NAMED INSURED MARSH RISK & INSURANCE SERVICES Bird Rides, Inc. 406 Broadway #369 POLICY NUMBER Santa Monica, CA 90401-2314
CARRIER NAIC CODE
EFFECTIVE DATE ADDITIONAL REMARKS THIS ADDITIONAL REMARKS FORM IS A SCHEDULE TO ACORD FORM, FORM NUMBER: 25 FORM TITLE: Certificate of Liability Insurance
The General Liability, Umbrella Liability, and Cyber Liability policies evidenced above are subject to self-insured retentions for various perils insured.
ACORD 101 (2008/01) © 2008 ACORD CORPORATION. All rights reserved. The ACORD name and logo are registered marks of ACORD
Confdential and proprietary information exempt from public disclosure under Cal. Gov. Code § 6254(k), Cal. Evid. Code § 1060. 218
Appendi 6: Le e of S ppo
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Appendi 10: Ope a ional Code of Cond c Bird Field Team Code of Cond ct Y a B a a . A a , a a a , B a b a a . A a b , a a b . I a a , a a a a B T a Sa T a .
La Enforcement Y b a a a a . I a a a , a . A b a a b a a a a . I a a a a a a B /B a , a a a . La a a a a B G La E R .
Riders Y a a a ab B a a a a a . T a . S a , b a . E a a a a a a . Y a a a ab a .
General P blic Y b a a b b a a a , a , b , , b , a . Ta a a a a . I , a a a a a a a a .
Other Operators B a ' a a . W a a J Pa , a a b a a . T a a a .
S stainabilit U Ca B - a . I - , b a a a a a . A , a a a a a ab . U P Lab . I , a a a a .
Deplo ment/Rebalancing/Collection Sa EVERY a a a . U PPE a a a a a a a . R / a COVID-19. Y a a a . I a , a a a a . I a , a a a a . T a ab a . B a a . B ba a , a , , a , . P a a a b a . A a . U a a b B a C a a .
Traffic S b a a a , b a a a a . Y b a a a a a a a , a a - . F a a b :
DO B a a , b , , a .
C d a a d a a b c d c d Ca . G . C d 6254( ), Ca . E d. C d 1060. 283 Ob - 25 . Ob b a a / a . B a a a , b , a ab a . B , a b . Pa b a , ba a , , a a a a ab b a 2.5 a a a a a - .
DO NOT Pa a a , a a a . Pa b a a a a a , a , . D a a a b a a a , a . C a a a .
C d a a d a a b c d c d Ca . G . C d 6254( ), Ca . E d. C d 1060. 284 Appendi 11: Acce ibili Adj men In e face
C d a a d a a b c d c d Ca . G . C d 6254( ), Ca . E d. C d 1060. 285 Appendi 12: Vehicle Ce i ca ion
C d a a d a a b c d c d Ca . G . C d 6254( ), Ca . E d. C d 1060. 286