The City of North Vancouver council is moving ahead with a pilot project to enable e-scooters on local roads.
Council gave first three readings to amendments to the City’s Street and Traffic Bylaw to enable e-scooters on designated City streets and pathways, with final approval scheduled for January 31 after the bylaws are approved by the province.
Generally, e-scooters and their riders will be treated similarly to skateboards in terms of where e-scooters can travel. They will be allowed on local roads, bike lanes, multi-use paths, but they are not allowed on park trails, sidewalks, or city plazas.
E-scooters are growing in popularity and staff have observed an increase in use around the City and across the North Shore, according to a staff report to council.
A e-scooter rider doesn’t require a licence, but must be at least 16 years of age, must wear a helmet, must slow down when near pedestrians on multi-use paths, must exercise due care around pedestrians and other road or pathway users.
The e-scooter rider must use a bell or horn when passing other riders and pedestrians, must not ride on the sidewalk, must ride single-file, and must not tow or carry another person.
In March 2021, the Province announced the approval of the pilot in six municipalities across BC: City of Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, City of Kelowna, and City of Vernon.
As of October 2021, the Province also approved e-scooter pilots in the City of Richmond and the City of Nanaimo. The pilot will initially apply to personal e-scooter devices, but could be later expanded to other devices.
Untrained , unlicensed , uninsured…What could possibly go wrong LOL
More “vehicles” where the riders will totally disobey the law, ignoring red lights and stop signs, riding on sidewalks and the Spirit Trail, going waaaay too fast near pedestrians. How do I know? Scooter riders already do that! The City will not adequately inform residents of the scooter laws and the police will never enforce them.