Airdrie might quickly observe within the footsteps of Calgary, Red Deer, Cochrane, and different Alberta municipalities in providing e-scooters as a kind of hyper-local transportation.
Airdrie might quickly observe within the footsteps of Calgary, Red Deer, Cochrane, and different Alberta municipalities in providing e-scooters as a kind of an area transportation possibility.
During a daily assembly on April 19, Airdrie City council authorized a framework to govern the roll-out of new modes of transportation or “micro-mobility” together with e-scooters and e-bikes through a two-year pilot program to be launched later this year.
The movement, which handed unanimously, directs administration to assessment the related bylaws – together with transportation and enterprise licensing – within the coming months to allow the use of varied kinds of micro transportation and to return to council with subsequent steps.
According to Chris MacIsaac, City of Airdrie transit group chief, the deployment of shared mobility gadgets has grown considerably over the previous a number of years and its development is anticipated to proceed because the group grows and demand for different kinds of transport will increase.
“This is a very pertinent topic for many municipalities in Alberta and across Canada,” he stated. “There has been quite the expansion of shared e-scooter companies that are looking to engage in providing their services in new communities throughout Canada.”
MacIsaac stated the City has been approached by varied privately-owned e-scooter firms that hope to develop their market to Airdrie, including Okotoks, Cochrane, Red Deer, and Lethbridge all launched micro-mobility choices of their communities in 2021.
He added the curiosity in e-transportation voiced by residents and enterprise homeowners prompted administration to assess the City’s overarching insurance policies, assessment the relevant bylaws and rules, and scan different municipalities to decide how greatest to implement Airdrie’s personal micro-mobility program.
“Acknowledging that pedestrians and other modes of transportation are very much supportive of the development of a vibrant and healthy downtown,” he stated, “it creates a sense of place and presence in our downtown when you have people moving.”
Rather than focusing solely on e-scooters, MacIsaac stated the municipality hopes to implement a program that may govern all sorts of micro-mobility within the coming years.
“E-scooters themselves are a mode within the broader context of micro-mobility,” he stated. “Today it’s e-scooters, sooner or later it could be e-bikes, e-trikes…We need to make sure the framework we’re creating right now is future-proof to guarantee new modes of micro-mobility are being included as half of the framework.”
In phrases of defining micro-mobility, MacIsaac stated the analysis continues to be in its infancy. He stated primarily based on the analysis that has been accomplished, the City of Airdrie has outlined micro-mobility as any small, light-weight automobile weighing lower than 100 kilograms and with a most velocity of 45 miles per hour. The checklist of micro-mobility automobiles contains e-scooters, e-bikes, bicycles, skateboards, and pedal-assisted electrical bikes (PAEB).
“There isn’t a significant amount of research that’s available within the Canadian context,” he stated, including most of the analysis that has been accomplished was primarily based out of the U.S., Europe, and Australia. “Micro-mobility is a relatively new term to our industry since 2017.”
He cautioned there are each alternatives and implications to adopting a micro-mobility pilot program.
“With this pilot approach, we can expedite the deployment of shared micro-mobility, so we’re not so restrictive on how we approach this as a municipality,” he stated.
There can also be a possibility to set up a framework that may direct the municipality sooner or later, in accordance to MacIsaac.
He stated this system can function inside the current construction of bylaws and rules to present the service to the group in full data there will likely be changes and modifications made accounting for expertise gained.
“The pilot also allows us to make the amendments to priority bylaws first,” he stated. “Bylaws must be enforceable, and we want to make sure any changes to these bylaws account for the service that is being provided.”
One change that may want to be made in consideration of the pilot project will likely be to revise Airdrie’s enterprise licensing bylaw to point out a most quantity of e-scooters that could possibly be deployed by any single firm.
“We would not want to see ourselves in a situation similar to the City of Kelowna, which removed all restrictions and then had an issue in terms of the number of e-scooters that were on their sidewalks,” he stated, noting pedestrians there have been interrupted by a excessive quantity of e-scooters piled up on native pathways.
“We can certainly learn from not only our experience but the experience of other municipalities and implement best practices to ensure that doesn’t become a reality in our community as well.”
In response to the presentation, Couns. Ron Chapman and Tina Petrow each voiced issues concerning potential accidents on pathways, the use of helmets, and the potential for intoxicated driving. They additionally questioned aloud how varied bylaws could be enforced by native RCMP officers to guarantee security for residents.
MacIsaac responded to say visitors and security legal guidelines nonetheless apply, and would proceed to be monitored and enforced by the RCMP.
“I think it’s coming. I think it’s worth looking at in other communities. Heck, I might even jump on one and try it,” Chapman stated of the e-scooters.
Coun. Al Jones stated he apprehensive the City could be dashing the implementation of the pilot program and will pause for thought to guarantee bylaws and rules accommodate equally for each privately owned and shared modes of micro-mobility.
“I’m concerned that we’re zeroing in too quickly and not looking at the overall holistic [picture],” Jones stated. “I’m a little cautious about just opening everything up.”
Similarly, Coun. Candice Kolson stated she needed to be sure that rules are mirrored for each non-public and shared customers of micro-mobility automobiles.
“They are everywhere. They’re using them. It’s happening. I hope that whatever comes forward is fair to both the private users and the public companies,” she stated, mentioning how related initiatives have labored properly in neighbouring municipalities. “I’m excited about this and happy to support it.”
Lastly, MacIsaac famous a pilot project is one of the best ways to method the deployment of micro-mobility in Airdrie.
“It allows for the adjustments that need to happen and it also signals to any micro-mobility provider or customer that we are trying to build something that works for everyone,” he stated. “We’re not going to get it excellent, however this gives a possibility to make these changes to the purpose the place it’s working for our group.”