City tries something new, hip — and eco friendly
Council goes all in on introduction of electric scooters
How about that? Windsor is one of the first cities in Ontario to try electric scooters.
And we’re going all in.
“They’re very fun,” said Coun. Fred Francis, who rode one last weekend with his niece and nephew when the temperature hit a balmy 14 degrees.
“They’re an absolute blast,” agreed Adriano Ciotoli of the tourism company Windsoreats, who has ridden them in Detroit and plans to buy a fleet for tours here. “I felt like a kid again.”
There were more trips by scooters than by bikes in ride-sharing services in North America in 2018, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
But these aren’t just toys. They’re a way to get around that doesn’t emit greenhouse gases.
Sixty per cent of car trips in the U.S. are five miles or less. The number in Canada is likely similar. The most common distance for riding electric scooters is up to two kilometres. You can see the potential for the environment and for lessening traffic congestion.
Calgary, one of several cities in Canada where electric scooters are permitted, actually measured the impact. One-third of scooter trips replaced a car trip. Scooters helped shift the predominant mode of transportation; they got some people out of their cars.
“I can understand if you live in the downtown core in Windsor or Toronto and you don’t want a vehicle and don’t want to pay for parking, if you don’t have a bicycle or you don’t want to work up a sweat going to work, this would be functional,” said Francis.
Windsor has declared a climate emergency. The city approved an active transportation plan that targets doubling the number of trips we make that aren’t in a car. Why wouldn’t we try electric scooters?
Our topography is flat. Our weather is mild. We have a compact core, walkable neighbourhoods.
We’re the perfect place to try electric scooters.
What impressed me was the way council approved this. It didn’t order more reports or defer it. It didn’t bury it under restrictions.
Council voted to be one of the first cities in Ontario to try something new and cool, and it went all in.
Staff recommended banning electric scooters from Windsor’s riverfront trail, the best part of the city. Council said they’re welcome there.
“That’s going to be a nice, leisurely ride along the river,” Francis said. “This is obviously one of our biggest assets. So what additional features can we include to help us maximize that asset? This is one. And hopefully that brings more people downtown because that’s what we want to do, right?”
Staff recommended banning scooters from buses. Council said they’re welcome on buses. Collapsible scooters practically fit under your arm. Like bikes, they can be used to get to and from destinations in conjunction with buses. The city just approved a massive overhaul of public transit. This is another way to encourage people to ride the bus. Then there are helmets.
Riders under 18 must wear helmets. City staff recommended that all riders wear helmets. Councillors rejected that recommendation, too.
I’m not saying don’t wear a helmet. These are motorized vehicles travelling up to 24 kilometres an hour. But if all riders must wear helmets, people won’t ride them.
We need to change the way we look at this. We need to flip it upside down. The goal is not to outfit every rider in a suit of armour so they can ride around the community safely. The goal is to design roads for everyone.
No one in Amsterdam wears a helmet because they don’t have to, because roads are designed for bikes, too.
Lime Canada, one of the two biggest bike- and scooter-sharing companies, conducts a global study of riders every year. This is what it has found.
“They routinely feel safer riding in separate bike lanes,” said Chris Schafer, senior director of strategic development, who has met with officials in Windsor. “That’s their No. 1 preference.”
The National Association of City Transportation Officials studied seven major cities in the U.S. in 2016. It found that when cities build more bike lanes, more people ride bikes. And when more people ride bikes, they become more visible. And the risk of being severely injured or killed falls.
Meanwhile, Windsoreats has already brainstormed potential tours, everything from brewery tours to mural tours, and priced scooters. They hope to start this summer or next spring.
“We’re really excited about it,” said Ciotoli.
“We look at it as something unique.”
The next step? Separate bike lanes and road diets.