Electric scooter startup Bird’s expansion into Virginia was a surprise to Arlington officials

Arlington county officials found out about Bird’s dockless electric scooter fleet’s recent expansion to Arlington just like everyone else did, apparently. The Washington Business Journal reports that Bird didn’t didn’t ask county officials for permission first before rolling out its fleet beyond D.C. to Ballston, Clarendon, Crystal City, Pentagon City and along Columbia Pike.

The county is still formulating a response to the scooter influx. The city of Santa Monica filed a criminal case against Bird this past year, and there’s been regulatory pushback against electric scooters across the country.

• Scooter startup has expanded into Arlington. It just didn’t tell Arlington. [WBJ]
• Bird’s electric scooters land in Arlington [Curbed DC]
• Bird, the electric scooter company, may become a billion-dollar startup [Curbed]
• As scooters multiply, Santa Monica plans regulations to address community concerns [Curbed LA]