You may have seen electric kick-scooters, or e-scooters, in other cities, and they may be coming to Thunder Bay.
E-scooters are sold by various manufacturers, or can be rented through smartphone apps. They are already allowed in cities like Edmonton and Vancouver, but are currently not permitted in Ontario. The province is now letting communities decide whether to allow the scooters through a pilot project announced in November.
Mayor Bill Mauro is bringing a motion to City Council Monday night to look at kicking off a pilot project.
“Simply to ask Administration for a report back on the pros and cons related to our potential to allow e-scooters on our roadways, as is currently being allowed by the province of Ontario,” Mauro explains.
In late January, the disability coalition AODA Alliance sent an open letter to Premier Ford and municipal Councils opposing e-scooters and claiming they present a danger to public safety.
Multiple media reports quote Edmonton city officials complaining of users riding e-scooters on sidewalks, creating safety concerns for pedestrians. Some rental scooters must be returned to docking stations when users are finished with them, which Edmonton officials said also presented a problem, as pedestrians encountered scooters abandoned on ramps and paths. That can block access for people who use wheelchairs and mobility aids.
Mauro says he has heard some opposition to the scooters, but isn’t discouraged from putting the question to City Council.
“They may, ultimately and finally, be opposed, but at this point certainly there are people who have expressed concerns, and that’s fine,” Mauro says, “And the report that would come back to Council from Administration, should my motion on Monday pass, would speak to all of that.”
The motion directs Administration to come back by June 1 with the report, which is also to include a draft by-law for the pilot project.
