Bird ridership soars during NFL Draft amid exclusive e-scooter partnership with KCMO
May 8, 2023 | Startland News Staff
Daily rides in Kansas City increased by 724 percent during April’s NFL Draft weekend, Bird reported, following the three-day series of events that brought more than 300,000 fans to festival grounds at Union Station.
“We’re thrilled to have partnered with Kansas City and the NFL to support the 2023 NFL Draft by providing efficient, affordable, and sustainable transportation to attendees,” said Shane Torchiana, CEO, Bird. “Our expanded scope as Kansas City’s only approved scooter partner showcases the trust established through our continued operations, understanding of local transportation needs, and our commitment to providing environmentally friendly transportation.”
Bird scooters await riders in the Crossroads during the NFL Draft; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News
Bird recently expanded its fleet to 1,400 scooters in the city and its surrounding metro area ahead of the draft, which ran April 27-29. In addition to making e-scooters available to attendees, Bird also strategically located new parking spots around the city to expedite local travel during the event, Torchiana said.
Peak ridership took place the first evening just prior to the Thursday event, with more than 800 rides taking place in a single hour, a 1,500 percent increase versus the same hour in the prior week.
More than 5,000 riders took rides with Bird, an average of over two rides per person during the week. The majority of rides occurred between the location of the draft in Union Station to the south and the Power and Light entertainment district to the north, indicating commute activity between the two key locations.
In addition to its role at this year’s Draft, Bird has also commenced operations in several new cities including Hamilton, Ontario in the greater Toronto area; Perth, Australia; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Montgomery, Alabama, confirming the impact Bird has in providing access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable transportation in cities across the globe.
RELATED: Small biz owners shocked by low NFL Draft sales, now wary of World Cup
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Founder of defunct Symptomly shares lessons from failure
Failure is a touchy subject. But for Derek Bereit — the former CEO and co-founder of mobile asthma tracking company Symptomly — his company’s failure was an opportunity shrouded in a difficult situation. Rather than sulking, Bereit sat down with Startland News to discuss Symptomly’s demise, the lessons it provided him and the possibilities that…
Founders discuss tough decisions entrepreneurs face
Two founders took the stage at Kansas City’s chapter of 1 Million Cups to discuss the vast variety of tough decisions entrepreneurs face when starting and running a business. Stuart Ludlow, co-founder of RFP 365 and Sarah Shipley, co-founder of BikeWalkKC, offered insights and advice for those launching a business. Read about RFP365’s recent funding…
Lenexa studio joins national coworking relief effort for Nepal
Despite the nearly 8,000 miles between them, a Kansas City-area coworking studio is helping with relief efforts in Nepal after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake destroyed hundreds of buildings and claimed thousands of lives. Lenexa-based Plexpod has joined the international “Coworking for Nepal” movement that has attracted dozens of studios to encourage fundraising for Nepal relief…