Stay in your lane: Bird to pilot scooter navigation app in Tel Aviv

By EYTAN HALON

Published: JUNE 18, 2020 17:54

A Bird e-scooter rider and Bird Maps (photo credit: PRNEWSFOTO/BIRD) — A Bird e-scooter rider and Bird Maps

(photo credit: PRNEWSFOTO/BIRD)

Developed by Israeli transportation start-up Trailze, the "Bird Maps" app will soon be available on iOS and Android and will provide both audio and visual "turn-by-turn navigation" to scooter riders.

Popular e-scooter provider Bird will test a new navigation app on the streets of Tel Aviv and Paris, assisting riders who want to travel around cities in designated bicycle or micromobility lanes.

Developed by Israeli transportation start-up Trailze, the “Bird Maps” app will soon be available on iOS and Android providing both audio and visual “turn-by-turn navigation” to scooter riders, utilizing bike lanes, quiet roads and wide areas where possible.

California-headquartered Bird, which has rolled out its shared mobility service in over 100 cities and universities worldwide to date, expects that the navigation app will increase both rider comfort and safety by increasing distance between cars and scooters.

Greater utilization of dedicated micromobility lanes within urban areas is likely to be welcomed news for pedestrians too, who have long protested the presence of riders on city sidewalks.

“With millions of people embracing shared electric micromobility and cities everywhere committing more resources to the development of bike and micromobility lanes, we wanted to ensure that riders could more easily navigate and utilize city infrastructure,” said Bird Head of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Patrick Studener.

“By working with Trailze to pilot Bird Maps in Paris and Tel Aviv – two cities that have recently committed to and developed additional bike lanes – we are making it easier for riders to feel more comfortable and safe as they move about their cities without relying upon cars, and hope to pave the way for increased adoption and usage of clean transportation.”

Increased reliance on bikes and other micromobility solutions has been a visible trend during the coronavirus outbreak, with more than 300 cities announcing plans for increased – sometimes temporary – micromoblity infrastructure.

Earlier this month, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality published a new strategic plan to more than double the length of the city’s bicycle paths from 140 km. to 300 km. within five years.

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“Our vision at Trailze is to make riding human-scale vehicles the easiest and safest option for all,” said Trailze CEO Ronen Bitan.

“We couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Bird, the leaders in the shared micromobility space, and use our unique navigation technology to revolutionize the way people move around in our cities.”