A California-based firm made a pitch to City Council Monday for permission to operate low-speed, battery-powered scooters in Altoona that would be available to the public for a rental fee, one ride at a time.

The request is contingent on passage of a bill in the General Assembly that would extend a pilot program in Pittsburgh to allow for a “limited fleet” of scooters to ply the streets like bikes in third-class cities, provided the cities opt in, according to city officials and Jeremy Lynch of Bird.

Bird already operates in 350 cities around the world, Lynch told council, whose members seemed favorably disposed to the pitch.

“Interesting,” said Councilman Bruce Kelley.

“Good forward thinking,” said Councilman Dave Butterbaugh, suggesting that college students would make a natural clientele for scooters, and that use of the tiny vehicles could alleviate parking problems downtown.

The maximum permissible speed would be 15 mph, according to the proposed law.

A local fleet manager employed by the company would be responsible for 50 to 75 scooters that would be parked at locations where they’d be most likely to be used, according to Lynch.

The operation would be “dockless,” so that could be anywhere they wouldn’t cause a problem, according to Lynch.

To ride a scooter requires downloading an app, creating a profile, taking a tutorial and registering a driver’s license and a credit or debit card, according to Lynch.

Users activate a scooter by scanning a QR code on the handlebar.

After a trip, users park the scooter, “scan out” and take a smart phone picture to assure the manager that the location is suitable.

The manager gets a percentage of revenue for each ride, which provides an incentive to place the scooters where they’ll be used most heavily, Lynch said.

The manager would be expected to frequently relocate scooters from where users leave them to where they’re most likely to be activated again, Lynch said.

Transit centers, medical centers and colleges are likely to be popular spots for scooter pickups, Lynch said.

The manager would be responsible for ensuring that the scooters that are available on the street are sufficiently charged, Lynch said.

Managers generally have a garage or parking facility where they recharge the scooters and store them when they’re not on the street, Lynch said.

Based on the needs of the community, scooters can be programmed to become inoperable if they stray beyond certain areas, or if they’re used during certain times – for example after a certain hour at night.

Those boundaries can be adjusted easily, to accommodate events like football games, if the municipality wants to minimize congestion, Lynch said.

Maps on the app show riders where those boundaries are, he said.

The scooter program is designed to provide “first mile, last mile” transportation, Lynch said.

Rides are typically eight to 12 minutes and cost $6 to $8, according to Lynch.

The scooters automatically slow and stop if the dual brakes fail, Lynch said.

They have puncture-proof tires, and the lights have a range of 500 feet.

The scooters weigh 55 pounds and get 35 miles per charge, according to Lynch.

An anti-theft feature causes alarms to sound if an unauthorized user tries to take them.

There would be no upfront investment by the city and the company would take care of insurance and indemnification, Lynch said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.