Dockless, electric scooters arrive in Austin

The electric scooter sharing company, Bird, rolled into Austin, Texas on Thursday morning.

The shared dockless, electric scooters are meant for short journeys or that last-mile that's too long to walk, the company says. To use it, riders must download the app, locate a nearby Bird and ride it to their destination.

The company says they cost $1 to start a ride and after that $0.15 cents per minute. Birds reach a max of 15 mph and are intended to be ridden in bike lanes and on the street. When riders reach their destination, the scooters are supposed to be left at a bike rack when possible or out of the public pathway, Bird says.

The company says the Birds are picked up every night for storage, charging and repairs.

Currently, Birds are available in the South Congress, Zilker and East Austin neighborhoods. Austin is the first city in Texas to get the service. They are already available throughout cities in California and in Washington, DC.