Mill Woods still without shared e-scooters, e-bikes despite boundary expansion

E-scooters are back in Edmonton - with some changes. (File Photo)

While most neighbourhoods in the city have access to shared e-scooters and e-bikes, one area has been left out.

Since the city began its shared micromobility program two years ago, Mill Woods and the southeast quadrant of the city hasn’t been able to access the two-wheeled rides that are more and more ubiquitous in other parts of the city.

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The City of Edmonton said it expanded its boundary to Mill Woods in 2024, but none of the three vendors have taken up the opportunity, leaving the southeast neighbourhood without the rides.

“We heard from a lot of Edmontonians that they wanted to see it in other areas of the city,” said Jenny Albers, acting director of traffic operation for Parks and Road Services with the City of Edmonton.

But it seems there has been a communication error between the city and its vendors.

Bird, Lime and Neuron – the city’s three shared micromobility vendors – expanded its service boundaries southwest to Anthony Henday Drive, north of 137 Avenue and portions of Castle Downs and east to 50 Street.

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the vendors to see why they haven’t expanded to Mill Woods.

“We are happy to serve any neighbourhood of Edmonton that the City deems safe and accessible for e-scooter and e-bike usage, but we trust that the City knows best when infrastructure is suitable and ready for this type of transportation,” said a statement from Bird Canada.

Lime had a similar statement:

“Edmonton has become a top micromobility city and we’re always looking for opportunities to keep expanding this beloved program in full partnership with the city. We’re open to discussing expanding service to this area with our city partners in a way that is safe and operationally feasible.”

After CTV News Edmonton reached out to vendors and the city, Lime said it is now in “direct talks with the City on how to ensure this expansion goes well for all riders and residents … we hope to make it happen together.”

A statement from the city said it meets with vendors regularly to discuss and evaluate potential services areas.

“We will ensure this item is discussed with the vendor at the next meeting,” said the city.

Bird Canada persisted that Mill Woods is not included in the operational boundary provided by the city.

“We plan to follow up with the City to better understand the reason for this, as I’m currently unaware of why it was excluded or of any discussions about allowing vendors to expand their operational areas beyond what was provided as part of last year’s expansion,” said an email from Pat Graham, Bird’s general manager.

While Mill Woods could see some action eventually, Albers said the neighbourhood has unique characteristics that pose challenges for fleet management, service coverage and customer accessibility.

“Its perimeter is bordered by the Anthony Henday on the east and south, Whitemud Drive to the north, and commercial area to the west, making the entire neighbourhood a non-contiguous area, creating challenges for vendors and customers,” said Albers.

But Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang said shared micromobility doesn’t need to be solely for travelling outside of Mill Woods with an e-scooter or e-bike, but can be used to connect people with transit and offer a mode of transportation that can be used within the community.

“We need to leverage this $1.8 billion LRT public transportation system and use micromobility as a tool to close that first-mile-last-mile gap,” Tang told CTV News Edmonton.

Tang said she often hears from her constituents about the need for more transit options, particularly south of the Henday where access is limited to only a few bus routes and On Demand bus service.

“I see micromobility not as a primary mode of transportation connecting Millwoods to the rest of the city, but really as an option to close that first-mile-last-mile loop for people who are able to use it,” said Tang.

She added that Mill Woods has one of the more connected shared use pathway networks in the city, making it an ideal area for people to use micromobility.

“We do have the infrastructure here for micromobility, for active transportation. I am confounded as to why we’re not capitalizing on these opportunities.”

“As we continue to see expansion of micromobility across Edmonton, I hope city administration and the vendors can revisit Mill Woods and the Southeast as a priority service area, even if it’s through market research to gauge community interest.”