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“Its a great way to get around,” says Will Leishman, the owner of Scooteretti, an electric bike and scooter store in Ottawa. Photo by Warren Reid.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.6″ custom_margin=”1px||1px|||”]<\/p>\n Ottawa commuters have questions about how they will cope once e-scooters start whizzing around town. The Ontario government announced a five-year pilot on Wednesday, which will encourage cities to adopt te-scooters as a clean mode of transportation.<\/p>\n Some people have already expressed concerns about the crowding of Ottawa\u2019s pathways and the potential danger to pedestrians.<\/p>\n \u201cAlong the canal it can be extremely busy on pathways that are not very wide,\u201d said Hans Moor, a cycling advocate in Ottawa, explaining that this new mode of transportation will likely result in crowded pathways and bike lanes.<\/p>\n E-scooters are two-wheeled, battery-powered stand-up vehicles.<\/p>\n While the pilot is meant to gauge the value of the scooters to Ontario cities. E-scooters are currently illegal in Ontario except on private property. The scooters are already in use in Europe, the United States and some Canadian cities. As of Jan. 1, Ontario municipalities can decide whether to allow the scooters on public roads and walkways.<\/p>\n Moor is worried about powered vehicles, which can reach speeds of 25 km\/h, coming very close to pedestrians.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that [the city] will push for multi-use pathways. But the name \u2018multi-use\u2019 implies that there are also pedestrians.\u201d <\/p>\n Companies like Bird and Lime, which offer Rules concerning e-scooters differ based from city to city. In Calgary, riders are permitted on the sidewalk but not on roads, while in Edmonton riders are allowed on roads but not sidewalks. <\/p>\n Ottawa\u2019s e-scooter regulations are up to the municipal government, as the pilot gives the city final say as to where people can ride.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/e-scooters_42861294-2.png” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ custom_margin=”15px||14px|||” custom_padding=”3px|||||”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.6″ text_font_size=”13px” text_line_height=”1.2em” min_height=”23px” custom_margin=”-2px||1px|||”]<\/p>\n Graphic illustration by Emma McPhee.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.6″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.6″ min_height=”227px” custom_margin=”-42px|||||”]<\/p>\n City Councillor Jeff Leiper said that the City of Ottawa will consider the experiences of other North American cities when drafting these rules, exploring what has worked and what hasn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI find it difficult to believe that we would allow [the scooters] on sidewalks,\u201d said Leiper, explaining he already receives complaints from pedestrians about bikes on sidewalks, which would only be aggravated by the addition of powered vehicles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI would be interested in allowing them on the multi-use paths, on bike lanes and certainly on the roads,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While e-scooters have irked pedestrians in other Canadian cities, some Ottawa pedestrians say that they welcome this new form of transportation as long as riders follow the rules.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Vero-Beauchemin-.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.6″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.6″ text_font_size=”13px” text_line_height=”1.2em” min_height=”29px” custom_margin=”-13px||1px|||”]<\/p>\n V\u00e9ro Beauchemin expresses concern about the speed of e-scooters. Photo by Warren Reid.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.6″ min_height=”296px” custom_margin=”-4px||1px|||”]<\/p>\n \u201cIf [the riders] are careful on the paths, and are mindful of the people walking, I don\u2019t have a problem,\u201d said V\u00e9ro Beauchemin, a pedestrian strolling along the canal with her husband and son.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She explained that her primary concern with e-scooters is their speed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[The scooters] are fast, and I have a kid on a small bike,\u201d she said. While the walkways are relatively free of traffic in November, she said that the scooters might be an issue come summertime when more people spend time outdoors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ontario\u2019s five-year pilot is meant to provide a new clean mode of transportation, a prospect that excites Will Leishman, the owner of Scooteretti, an electric bike and scooter store on Murray Street.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great way to get around,\u201d said Leishman, folding the floor-model of an e-scooter to demonstrate its portability. \u201cYou can ride it to the LRT station, hop on a train, and continue riding [the scooter] after you get off. I think it will give people more options for transportation.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.0.6″]<\/p>\n We\u2019re working! Really! @MeehanCarolAnne<\/a> taking a spin down councillors row on an electric scooter. pic.twitter.com\/M70auYiCyw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jeff Leiper (@JLeiper) March 25, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
dockless scooter rental services, have proven popular in cities that have already launched e-scooter pilots, like Calgary and Edmonton. But public officials in these cities have received pushback from pedestrians. <\/p>\n\n