Bird Takes Flight on Campus

Starting this semester, Bird will join the campus’ dockless bike share program by adding 500 Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes to the local fleet. The bicycles will be active throughout Champaign-Urbana across a designated service area, which includes university property.

Sustainable Transportation Assistant Sarthak Prasad said, “Providing additional micromobility options to the campus community is a top active transportation priority and expanding the campus bike sharing fleet through a partnership with Bird exemplifies that commitment.”

Five slow-ride zones will be activated using Bird’s geo-zone technology on the Main Quad, Bardeen Quad, South Quad, Ikenberry Commons, and a section of north campus. Those specific locations can be viewed on the Bike at Illinois website. The pedal-assist function will be reduced in those heavily-utilized spaces to enhance pedestrian safety in core campus areas. The bicycles will be available 24/7, although during severe weather events, including snow and ice storms, a local ground team for the company may temporarily pull the fleet from service.

Bird offers two pricing options: a pay-per-trip ($1 unlock fee plus $0.39 per mile) or various ride pass and subscription levels based on expected usage. Rental information, ridership rules, and fleet operational updates are available in the Bird app. A first-ride discount is available for new users.

Expanding Bike Sharing Service 

Bird’s fleet adds to the approximately 750 Veo Cosmo e-bikes (motorized) already used on the Urbana campus. For questions about Bird service, contact champaign311@bird.co.

As part of the bike sharing agreement, both companies will host future engagement events in coordination with university programs. The collaborations will also help F&S leverage ridership trends to enhance future bicycle infrastructure improvements throughout the campus transportation network.