Electric rental scooters will roll onto Hamilton roads and bike lanes next spring
Hamilton will test-drive electric scooter rentals starting next spring in a pilot believed to be unique in Canada for its efforts to protect disabled residents.
Council hit the brakes earlier this year on planned private rentals of e-scooters - the kick-style, standup version - after blind and deaf residents raised the terrifying" prospect of trip hazards and collisions linked to the silent, fast devices.
But an updated pitch - which contains safety requirements the city and would-be operators called a first in Canada - won unanimous support Wednesday at public works committee. Council is expected to confirm the decision Friday.
This is a step in the right direction to make e-scooters equitable for as many people as possible," said James Kemp, a member of the city's advisory committee for people with disabilities who previously labelled the devices landmines waiting to trip us up."
The city took resident concerns seriously, said transportation planning manager Brian Hollingworth, and will now require novel" safety requirements for any scooter company bidding to set up shop locally.
Those include:
- Acoustic signalling devices" designed to ensure blind residents can hear the otherwise silent electric scooters coming. Scooter operator Lime said that would be a first for any commercial scooter contract in Canada.
- A lock-up" mechanism that requires customers to lock e-scooters to bike racks or utility poles when they're done riding. That requirement is modelled on a Chicago experiment and meant to stop scooters from being discarded on sidewalks or in other dangerous places, a common complaint.
- High-contrast colours on scooter handlebars to help low-vision residents recognize potential obstacles.
- A scooter complaint hotline to quickly alert the company or bylaw of improperly driven or discarded devices.
The city bidding process will now only allow two - instead of three - e-scooter companies to set up shop next year for a 24-month pilot. That means fewer scooters on roads, bike lanes and designated paths. Sidewalks will be off-limits.
Companies will be required to offer e-scooters, at a minimum, in the same lower-city coverage area as rental bicycles offered by Hamilton Bike Share - but would-be operators could also pitch a business plan to cover more of the city.
Those companies must also pay vehicle and per-trip fees that will be used to help offset costs for Hamilton Bike Share, which is now run by a non-profit after Uber abandoned it during the early days of the pandemic.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com