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CBC
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- CBC
Halifax's shared e-bike, scooter pilot causing some accessibility issues, say advocates
In the last week, Tara Niekamp has come across electric scooters from Halifax's new micromobility pilot program parked where they're not supposed to be — in the middle of the sidewalk. For people who are blind or have sight loss, this can pose an injury risk, Niekamp said. And even if someone notices it ahead of time, there are still challenges. "The natural path around it may not be as obvious," said Niekamp, who lives with sight loss and is co-chair of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind's volunteer Nova Scotia strategic leadership council. "You may end up having to backtrack and reroute yourself, which can be really challenging, especially if you're new to blindness or low vision and you've only got a couple sort of routes that you feel really confident and safe doing." The devices are supposed to be taken from and dropped off in specific parking areas. But in the location where CBC News interviewed Niekamp on Monday, one scooter was seen outside the area marked off on the ground by white tape. Michelle Mahoney, who is a person with a disability and accessibility officer for the University of King's College, has seen the new scooters obstructing sidewalks multiple times. "That's not good," she said. The two-year pilot program launched on May 15 with the aim of improving urban transportation options. There are nearly 600 e-bikes and e-scooters now dotted around urban areas of Halifax and Dartmouth, according to Bird Canada, the company delivering the program. So far, riders have travelled more than 24,000 kilometres, with an average trip length of 2.8 kilometres, said Austin Spademan, head of government partnerships for the company. Bird has a team of 15 people who patrol the city to address issues, such as where the devices are parked. There will be more staff hired, he said. Spademan said the company also uses technology to prevent devices from being left in the middle of the sidewalk. "It's using Google AI to validate where that device is parked … basically to the centimetre level," he said. If a rider leaves a device outside of a designated parking area, they are given a warning. A fine is issued for a second infraction and a ban is issued on the third occasion. Spademan said no fines have been issued in Halifax. Based on other places across Canada where the company operates, he said people issued a warning do not reoffend in about 98 per cent of cases. On Monday, CBC observed and notified Spademan of a parking station on Brunswick Street that took up approximately half of the sidewalk's width. The company then moved the station to a different location the same day. In a statement, Halifax Regional Municipality spokesperson Laura Wright said the station did not meet accessibility criteria and that the city has been working with Bird to adjust and improve the locations. "Starting this week, additional shared micromobility parking locations will be located on-street, which will help to keep sidewalks clear," she wrote. For people with sight loss who use a white cane, Niekamp said having a raised lip around designated parking stations could help them navigate more easily. Accessibility is a "fundamental factor" of the pilot, Wright said. She said the municipality tracks misuse of the devices through 311 and Bird, with residents able to report incidents to the company directly.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
E-bikes prove popular in Halifax while raising concerns for advocacy group
Bird Canada has brought 300 e-scooters and 200 e-bikes to the Halifax region and says in the first 20 days these devices have received more usage here than when the company first introduced them to other cities. Austin Spademan with Bird Canada even says it's 'record breaking' in terms of initial usage. 'We have already clocked over 24,000 kilometers, which is crazy, and across 3,600 Haligonians have used our service. They are riding an average of 2.36 rides per rider,' says Spademan. 'I think it's great to have more active transportation options,' says Alex Setchell, a Halifax resident. Bird Canada, a Canadian company, has a goal of getting people out of their vehicles. 'Both e-scooters and e-bikes are important tools in the tool kits to give people compelling alternatives to either get straight from where they live to run errands within the community or more importantly connect more with other transit options to completely decouple from completely needing a car to get from point A to point B,' says Spademan. Brynn Budden, public affairs advisor with the Halifax Regional Municipality, says the pilot projects for the e-scooters and e-bikes aim to provide mobility options to residents. 'The system is designed to be affordable and easy to use for both residents and visitors and will complement other existing modes of transportation including Halifax Transit,' says Budden. Bird Canada hopes to grow north of Highway 102 and into Burnside, but for now they are taking things slow. 'We have entered a smaller operating area more, it mainly covers downtown and a few other main areas that are those flex flare zones that I mentioned that we built with the United Way. We are going to grow from here with fleet increases over time as the usage dictates that we could use more vehicles. We are going to do this in partnership with HR,' says Spademan. Anyone can use them but there are rules. 'Definitely should be using the road and all the bike infrastructure, not the sidewalk. In fact, if you are riding on the sidewalk, we can tell,' says Spademan. The devices have sensors that can detect if it's in an area where it's not permitted. They also automatically reduce their speed in designated slow zones. There are consequences for riders who don't follow the guidelines. 'We may give you an email as a rider saying, 'Hey, you know, that's not allowed and you might get in trouble for it so do not be riding on the sidewalks,'' says Spademan. The CNIB Foundation feels those consequences are not enough, and it has concerned for visually-impaired people. 'CNIB has done a lot of advocacies nationwide with e-scooter companies as well as municipal officials and the issues seem to be persisting so I am planning on reaching out to the city to discuss the issue further,' says Shelley Adams, CNIB manager for Atlantic Canada. Tara Niecamp, strategic leadership council co-chair with CNIB, feels not everyone is going to follow the rules. 'For those cases where the policy is not enough, there needs to be really strict penalties, whether that comes down to a financial penalty or revoking of the account for those that don't follow the rules.' says Niecamp. 'For individuals with low vision or who are blind, it's not that easy. Walking, you may not see the device which means that you could trip and fall.' Bird Canada says when they introduced these devices in Ottawa, they worked with groups like the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and have developed a lot of features to make their products less of a potential conflict. 'A lot of that revolves around that parking technology I mentioned, just making sure when our devices are parked that they are out of the public right of way,' says Spademan. The CNIB wants people held accountable. 'The municipality needs to hold the e scooter companies accountable for that and in order to do that the municipality needs to have a system in place where they can track the e-scooters being improperly used,' says Niecamp. 'When you are living with a disability, you are encountering barriers constantly and it is requiring a lot of mental energy even to advocate and report them.' Some Halifax residents say they love the idea, but feel there are a few drawbacks. 'I love this idea of having more transportation options like that aren't vehicles in the city but it was way too expensive and it cost about $15 just to get from the commons down to the waterfront and it was pretty direct and I didn't have to wait a whole lot and also it's not a comfortable ride,' says Shannon Kam. 'The cost goes up pretty quickly if you don't think about it. It will be about $3 a minute sometimes, which is a lot, you know,' says Quinn Marnitz. The municipality admits the project is still in the early stages so components like parking locations and sidewalk detection technologies are still being fine-tuned. E-scooters Hundreds of e-scooters and e-bikes have arrived in Halifax. (Source: Emma Convey/CTV News Atlantic) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Edmonton to offer e-ride workshops this summer
Hundreds of e-scooters are hitting Edmonton's streets this week with launches from companies Lime and Bird Canada The City of Edmonton is holding a series of events to teach Edmontonians all about e-rides and active transportation. Street Sparks will encourage Edmontonians to embrace the future of micromobility, a range of small and lightweight vehicles, like e-scooters and e-bikes, designed to transport drivers short and medium distances to promote cleaner air, the City of Edmonton said on Monday. 'This is a fantastic opportunity for Edmontonians to experience the benefits of micromobility in an inclusive and safe environment,' said papastew Coun. Michael Janz. 'The Street Sparks events will provide valuable experience and education to help residents feel confident and make informed choices about sustainable transportation options.' At the event, people will get a free, hands-on experience with e-rides and learn from Edmonton's micromobility vendors Bird, Lime and Neuron. Street Sparks will include test rides, safety workshops and entertainment like games and food trucks. The events will take place on Saturday, July 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Booster Juice Recreation Centre and Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mayfield Park.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Bird Canada, HRM partner to bring e-bikes and e-scooters to residents
Three-hundred e-bikes and 300 e-scooters are now available for rent in Halifax. Canadian company Bird Canada rolled out their e-bikes and e-scooters across the Halifax region on Thursday. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) partnered with Bird Canada on a two-year pilot program to introduce 300 e-bikes and 300 e-scooters, which will expand over the pilot period. The new program will roll out in phases to certain areas of the municipality. They will have designated parking zones and can be accessed using the Bird app. The first phases includes areas in: Halifax Dartmouth Fairview Spryfield Westphal Woodside Later phases will expand to communities such as Burnside, Bedford and Sackville. 'The municipality is partnering with United Way and Bird Canada on a more equitable micromobility initiative including Flex Fare Zones and a Community Pricing Program to reduce barriers to access so that more people can be introduced to micromobility,' a news release from the municipality says. The maximum speed for the e-bikes and e-scooters is 25k/h. Riding is permitted on roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h, in bike lanes, on multi-use pathways and in certain parks. Riding is not permitted on sidewalks. 'No ride zones' such as high pedestrian areas or restricted areas will bring the devices to a complete stop. 'Slow ride zones' will limit the devices speed to 15km/h. These zones can be seen on the Bird app. The e-bikes and e-scooters are equipped with helmets that must be worn by riders. Riders must be 18 and over to register but 16 and 17-year-old riders may register if a waiver is signed by a parent or guardian. The steps of renting the e-bikes or e-scooters are: Download the Bird app Find an available e-bike or e-scooter Unlock it Wear the helmet Ride safely Park in a designated zone Bird Canada e-scooters Bird Canada e-scooters are seen parked on a Halifax sidewalk. (CTV Atlantic/Jonathan MacInnis) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Bird electric scooter program expanding across a big swath of Hamilton Mountain
Social Sharing No longer is whipping along a city pathway with the wind in your hair just for lower-city residents – Hamilton's electric scooter program, run by Bird Canada, has expanded to the Hamilton Mountain. Bird launched the expansion May 9, according to a City of Hamilton report that said 300 scooters in total will be added to stations across Wards 6, 7, 8 and 14, south of the Niagara Escarpment and north of the Lincoln Alexander Parkway. "After two years of the program operations and data analysis, both the City and Bird Canada staff identified additional service areas for expansion," says the report, submitted by Steve Molloy, the city's acting director of transportation planning and parking. "City staff collaborated with councillors from the affected wards to create service area boundaries for the expansion." Bird Canada general manager Pat Graham says the company heard significant feedback from users who live on the Mountain and want to use the scooter to commute to work downtown. "It was a natural expansion of our current downtown operating zone," he told CBC Hamilton on Wednesday, adding that it will take until sometime in June to get the full complement of 300 new scooters stationed. "It will start small and gradually increase over time." The new scooters on the Mountain are in addition to the 600 scooters available in the lower city, from Ward 4 in the east to Dundas in the west. Bird scooters, which are reserved and paid for through an app, have been available in parts of the lower city since 2023. The company says riders must be over 16 years old to use the Hamilton system, and offers the following "tips" for scooter safety: Watch for pedestrians. Use caution and follow local safety and traffic laws. Travel in bike lanes or roads unless otherwise directed. Ride one person per Bird at a time. However, scooters with multiple riders are a common sight in Hamilton's downtown, and they can occasionally be seen on sidewalks. He also said the devices have geo-fencing technology that prevents them from going on sidewalks, but this is based on GPS and is "imperfect." The technology is also used to prevent them from using certain roads, a feature he says will be enacted in an enhanced way on the Hamilton Mountain. "There will be no-ride zones on certain streets as well as arterial roads," he said, adding that all roads with a speed limit about 50 kilometres per hour, such as the Sherman Access, will be off limits. Graham estimated that a one-off trip from Mohawk College to downtown would cost around $12, but that cost is cut significantly if users purchase a ride pass, which covers travel over a designated time period. For instance, he said a seven-day pass is $29.99, and allows 120 minutes of riding, a 43 per cent discount from the base fare. "If you are taking two rides a day for a week, it's a much friendlier option."
