This is how Hamilton rolls: rentable e-scooter pilot hits the street Monday

Rentable e-scooters will finally roll onto lower-city streets - but not sidewalks - on Monday as part of a commercial pilot of the technology in Hamilton.

Council approved a plan in 2021 to allow private rentals of electric-powered scooters - the kick-style, standup version - but not without debate.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, for example, have labeled e-scooters a silent menace" and lobbied during the last municipal election to keep them off city streets across the province.

Fans of the technology, however, call the devices a climate-friendly transportation alternative that can coax people out of their cars.

The City of Toronto has so far banned e-scooters, but Hamilton council voted to allow a one-year rental pilot so long as the operator addressed safety concerns raised by seniors and residents with disabilities.

Bird Canada won the bid to operate the first pilot in Hamilton and will show off some of the first 150 e-scooters scheduled to hit the road at an event Monday at city hall.

If all goes well, up to 350 scooters will later become available.

More program details will become available Monday, but here's what we know so far:

Where can you ride?

The rental scooters are limited for now to the same lower-city footprint as the Hamilton Bike Share program, which stretches from Dundas to Ottawa Street. In the future, the boundaries of the program could expand.

Within the existing boundaries, you can drive on any street with a speed limit of 50 km/h or lower, in any bike lane and on designated trails.

But the scooters are not allowed on sidewalks or on many park paths - and geofence" technology will actually bring the device to a stop if you break the rules.

Also good to know: Your battery-powered ride can run out of juice. If it does, your ride is over.

What does it cost?

Bird can set different rates in different cities, but typically in Canadian cities the pay-as-you-go cost has been $1.15 to unlock and around 40 cents per minute thereafter, using the Bird Canada smartphone app.

In Hamilton, there will also be daily, weekly and monthly passes announced - and special discounts for low-income residents or neighbourhoods, veterans, seniors and teachers. Expect more details to be announced Monday.

Where do you park?

That's an important question that has scuttled e-scooter experiments in other cities.

You are supposed to lock" e-scooters to stationary objects" - think bike racks or poles - when you are done with them, without blocking any sidewalks or roadways. Scooters carelessly discarded on sidewalks have proved an infamous trip hazard in some cities, leading to some municipal bans.

You can report a discarded or dangerously parked e-scooter via the Bird app, or by phone (1-800-205-2442) or email (hello@bird.co). The company has committed to responding to such complaints within 30 minutes.

How fast can you go?

Provincial legislation says the e-scooters must be limited to a maximum 24 km/h, but speed-limiting technology used for the Hamilton pilot won't allow you to roll faster than 20 km/h. In some high-pedestrian areas, you'll be forced to slow to 10 km/h.

What are the safety concerns?

Collisions, trip-and-fall hazards and head injuries have all been raised as risks. (Adults are advised to wear helmets; if you are under 18, you must wear one.)

Personal e-scooters can be both fast and relatively silent, which is why some seniors, residents with vision and hearing loss or mobility challenges have raised concerns about the technology.

Bird Canada is proposing to address some those concerns via technology to limit speeds, kill the engine if a person strays into banned territory and create acoustic warnings" to alert pedestrians.

FYI: Provincial law specifies you cannot drink-and-ride or otherwise be under the influence of drugs while riding an e-scooter. You can be charged criminally.

What other rules do I need to know?

• You cannot ride if you are under the age of 16.

• You have to stand while riding.

• You can't take passengers along for the ride.

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com