E-scooters could become legal and e-scooter rentals could be making a comeback in Waterloo region next spring if Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo agree to move forward with a recommendation expected to be tabled by the region this fall.
In it, councils will be asked to adopt a bylaw regulating use of electronic scooters on city trails, dedicated cycling lanes and roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less.
Right now, they're illegal on streets, sidewalks and trails even though dozens of private owners use them on a daily basis around the region.
Kevan Marshall, principal planner, transportation demand management, transit integration and TravelWise gave an update on the region’s e-scooter study during a Tuesday meeting of the Active Transportation Advisory Committee.
He said the region is expected to look into the possibility of a competitive bidding process with e-scooter rental companies when it hosts stakeholder workshops over the summer.
Waterloo was the first municipality in the region to work with e-scooter rental company Lime in a pilot project that ended in the summer of 2019. Lime decided that August not to renew the pilot along Waterloo's trails because legislation at the time prevented e-scooters on city streets and still does.
Then in January 2020, the province launched its e-scooter pilot program, inviting municipalities that want to allow e-scooters to determine best practices around their use and pass by-laws to permit them.
The region initiated a study in spring 2020, funded through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, to determine local interest in moving forward with an e-scooter plan.
The study focused on bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters to come up with a summary of best practices around their use, community access, and longevity for shared systems.
On Tuesday, Marshall outlined the results of a survey on e-scooters that was launched on Engage Waterloo Region in February.
It showed close to 60 per cent of respondents are in favour of a staff-preferred option of allowing them on city streets and trails.
The option would allow someone on an e-scooter to travel from one end of Galt to North Hespeler using various trails, bike paths and roads, Marshall explained.
The region’s survey gathered 1,439 responses, 54.1 per cent of which agreed with the preferred option while 41.6 per cent of respondents said no. The remainder were unsure.
Of the “Nos”, 10.5 per cent said they wanted e-scooters to be allowed anywhere a bike can go.
Cambridge voters represented only 13 per cent of responses and voted 57 per cent against the preferred option.
Cambridge voters want to allow e-scooters on trails, multi-use paths and all roads with reserved bike lanes, but they’re less in favour of adding roads with speed limits of 50 km/h or less.
Waterloo was the most in favour of the preferred option with 62 per cent of survey respondents voting yes.
Marshall said favourable responses to the preferred option in Waterloo were attributed in part to experience with the city’s Lime e-scooter test project.
Banning e-scooters altogether was the least preferred option among all respondents.
Most respondents, 67 per cent, had ridden e-scooter before and were most likely to support the preferred option because it provides an alternative to car travel, treats e-scooters similarly to bikes, considers safety, avoids high speed areas and, most important of all, creates a complete network to get from point A to point B within each city.
Opposition to e-scooters cited a general concern around safety, especially when used improperly, and stated they don’t want to see them on roads or on multi-use paths.
Close to 70 per cent of respondents support an e-scooter sharing system using an e-scooter rental company, saying they like the service because of its convenience and as an alternative to ownership.
Those opposed to allowing an e-scooter company to rent in Waterloo region said e-scooters can be a general nuisance when parked or used improperly.
Most who said they would try an e-scooter at least once said they’d use it for fun, recreation, or exploration.
Marshall said concerns about speed, especially where e-scooters would mix with pedestrians and cyclists, can be mitigated with a rental company’s e-scooters because they can be controlled using a Global Positioning System that throttles speed in identified zones.
“Staff feel that is something we want to consider,” Marshall said.
Next steps include consultation with the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee, followed by creation of a draft bylaw with rental agencies in mind to address service area restrictions, speed, traffic and parking.
Marshall said a bylaw would also consider etiquette and trail use.
He expects a bylaw update would go to regional and municipal councils this fall followed by adoption by the end of the year.
The aim is to launch the service in spring 2022.
