Coquitlam aiming to launch its own e-scooter share service this summer

Jan 21 2023, 1:16 am

The City of Coquitlam has indicated it is aiming to start the procurement process for seeking a company to launch and operate a public e-scooter share service.

If all goes as planned, the e-scooter share service could be ready to launch sometime in Summer 2023.

“E-scooter sharing is an important part of making micromobility options more accessible within the community and helping to reduce short-trip car use. It can also help remove barriers for people combining micromobility with transit,” reads a release.

Ahead of the new e-scooter share service launch, earlier this week, as the initial step, the City of Coquitlam enabled the legal use of private/personal e-scooters on essentially wherever bicycles are also allowed, including multi-use paths and bike lanes. The speed limit for e-scooters is 24 km/hr.

E-scooters are not permitted on sidewalks, park trails, and pathways unless there is permitted signs that indicate otherwise, and roadways with 50 km/hr speed limits. On local minor streets where e-scooters are permitted on the roadway, users are required to keep right as much as possible.

E-scooter users are also required to be at least age 16, wear a helmet, and have a bell and lights on their device.

Coquitlam’s policy changes enabling the legal use of e-scooters is part of the provincial government’s pilot project of testing the safety of e-scooters. This pilot for Coquitlam is expected to run through April 2024.

To date, a total of 11 municipal governments have participated in the provincial government’s pilot project, but not all have rolled it out to include a e-scooter share service.

Other jurisdictions in BC that have already permitted a public e-scooter share service under the provincial pilot program includeĀ KelownaĀ andĀ Richmond, which both use the services of multinational giant Lime.

SinceĀ Summer 2021, the City of Vancouver has permitted the use of private/personal e-scooters under similar restrictions. Last fall, staff with the City of Vancouver indicated they are looking to begin the bidding process for a e-scooter share service operator in Fall 2023. Under this timeline, Vancouver’s e-scooter share service is unlikely to be ready until sometime in 2024.

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