The City is pleased to announce that three operators – Bird Canada, Lime, and Roll – are bringing up to 600 shared e-scooters to the City’s multi-use pathways, bike lanes and streets. E-scooters are a form of mobility that supports physical distancing and reduces car trips on our streets and crowding on transit.
The electric kick scooter pilot, designed to gauge public interest and evaluate safe and courteous riding and parking, will run until the end of October. The City looks forward to working with Bird Canada, Lime and Roll to provide a safe and enjoyable e-scooter program for residents and visitors.
Companies interested in providing e-scooters were asked to submit applications by Friday, June 26. The City has entered into an agreement with Bird Canada and is finalizing contracts with Lime and Roll. Residents can expect to see Bird Canada’s e-scooters on streets starting Thursday, July 16, with Lime and Roll beginning operations in the following days.
Privately owned e-scooters have been allowed in Ottawa since the Electric Kick Scooter By-law came into effect on Monday, June 29.
E-scooter sharing, which is available in many cities around the world, is when a private company provides a fleet of e-scooters, similar to a dockless bike share, for use by the public. Residents and visitors use a mobile app to unlock e-scooters and pay for the ride. At the end of the ride, the rider parks the e-scooter according to local rules.
E-scooters must be parked upright in the sidewalk furniture zone, the area closest to the curb that is in line with trees, benches and bike racks, and out of the way of pedestrian travel. Inappropriately parked scooters create barriers to accessibility, cause clutter and block access to homes and business.
If you see an inappropriately parked e-scooter, report it to the provider. Each e-scooter will include contact information. Companies must move the e-scooter within one hour.
Shared e-scooters must be equipped with a bell, brakes and lights, and are for one rider who is 18 years or older. They can be used daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The providers’ apps will provide Ottawa Public Health’s guidelines for handwashing and physical distancing.
Shared e-scooters have a speed limit of 20 kilometres per hour. Like private e-scooters, they are not allowed on sidewalks, National Capital Commission pathways, in the City of Gatineau, in OC Transpo facilities, on buses and trains, and on streets with a posted speed limit of more than 50 kilometres per hour. Providers will use geofencing technology to slow scooters to a crawl and prevent them from being parked in these areas.
Providers use dockless technology, meaning there are no physical stations and e-scooters can be picked up and dropped off anywhere in the area of operation.
Bird Canada’s e-scooters can be picked up between Parkdale Avenue and Nelson Street, within the orange area on the map below. E-scooters can be ridden outside of this area, but service will be limited with geofencing. The deployment areas for all providers can be found on the City’s e-scooter web page.
About the Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project:
- For the pilot project, shared e-scooters will be allowed on the City’s pathways, cycling facilities and roads with posted speed limits at or below 50 km/h.
- E-scooters are not permitted to be operated on sidewalks, on NCC pathways or parkways or in the Ville de Gatineau.
- Safe and courteous parking means parking e-scooters upright in the sidewalk furniture zone, the area closest to the curb in line with trees, benches and bike racks and out of the way of pedestrian travel.
- Each e-scooter will include customer service contact information. Residents can contact the e-scooter provider directly to report misparked e-scooters. Providers have committed to respond to mis-parked e-scooters in 1 hour. Bird Canada can be contacted at 1-866-205-2442, Lime can be contacted at 1-888-546-3345, and Roll can be contacted at 1-833-954-0027.
- COVID-19 sanitization protocols include: vehicles will be disinfected daily; riders will be reminded in-app to wash their hands as vehicles are not disinfected between riders.
- While e-scooters are a useful addition to the City’s transportation system, the Transit By-law does not provide for e-scooters, except for foldable e-scooters that can be folded and transported as luggage.
- Riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Ottawa Public Health strongly recommend all users wear a helmet due to risk of injury.
The planned deployment area for Bird Canada is within the yellow line on the map shown above. The deployment area is where e-scooters can be picked up, e-scooters can be ridden outside of the deployment area but will be limited based on Bird Canada’s geo-fencing. The deployment area for Lime and Roll can be found online at Ottawa.ca.
