E-scooters set to return to Ottawa streets this summer: Here’s what you need to know

The City of Ottawa is planning to continue the e-scooter program for another five years. CTV’s Natalie van Rooy has the details.

E-scooters have the green light to roll on Ottawa’s roads again this spring and summer starting Thursday, with electric scooters available to rent 24 hours a day and in more neighbourhoods.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee approved a plan to allow electric scooters to continue to be used on Ottawa roads for another five years. Councillors also endorsed a plan for the city to continue to partner with Bird Canada and Neuron Mobility to rent e-scooters to the public between April 30 and November 15.

“E-scooters offer several benefits,” staff said in a report for the committee. “They increase the travel options available to residents and provide an alternative to driving. They support local businesses, enhance connectivity to transit, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

• Ottawa eyes extended hours, new neighbourhoods for e-scooters this summer

While the e-scooter program will be available in the deployment area bounded by St. Laurent Boulevard in the east, Rideau River/Carling Avenue in the south, Churchill Avenue in the west and the Ottawa River to the north, staff recommend expanding the deployment zone “incrementally” this year.

“It is anticipated that the expanded deployment zone would extend outward from the 2024 deployment zone, but could also include Business Improvement Areas, Town Centres, and areas in proximity to rapid transit stations,” staff said.

Jennifer Armstrong, City of Ottawa transportation planning active director says there are no specific locations in mind at this time.

“We’re looking for input from councillors, from the community, from the providers, and then, we’ll go from there on identifying what locations might be appropriate,” Armstrong said.

“I think residents have really embraced the use of e-scooters in Ottawa. We’ve certainly seen an increase in usage over, in particular, the last three years of the pilot. And, from our end of season surveys, there is certainly support for the program. At the same time, we do know that there are concerns around e-scooters, operating on sidewalks, (and) parking in places where they shouldn’t be.”

The program has seen a drastic decrease in the number of complaints compared to when it started five years ago, said Jennifer Therkelsen, Bylaw enforcement services manager.

“I will say no riding on sidewalks. So, that is certainly one of the considerations, one of the regulations,” Therkelsen said, while asking users to watch where they’re parking it.

“I think they are a good option for people to get around. Freely from point A to B. However, I do think that the scooters are also a challenge for drivers and cyclists. So, we have to be mindful of, you know, the people walking on the sidewalks and how many people are on the streets in Ottawa,” said Ottawa resident Carole Breton.

There will be several other adjustments to the e-scooter rental program for 2025, including:

• E-scooter operating hours will be extended to 24 hours a day this year, with some restrictions (such as the ByWard Market). In 2024, the shared e-scooter operating hours were 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• The fleet size will be maintained at 1,000 e-scooters, but an increase in fleet size will be available if the deployment zone is extended.

The e-scooters are required to emit a continuous sound when in use to alert pedestrians and drivers as they approach, and the rider will continue to be charged a fee if the e-scooter is improperly parked.

Staff say while there continues to “be issues around sidewalk riding and improper parking,” city data and resident feedback show “consistent improvement year over year.”

“The aggressive measures and restrictions that were implemented since 2022 such as the restrictive parking model, geofencing, and streamlined reporting appear to have made significant improvements to address these concerns as compared to initial seasons,” the report said.

All measures to address concerns about e-scooters on sidewalks and improperly parked, including the “newest technology” for e-scooter parking, will remain in place.

New this year, the City of Ottawa will provide money to the Ottawa Police Service to “provide staff resources for more frequent enforcement activities” targeting e-scooter violations. Staff have said police do not have the resources to allocate officers to daily e-scooter enforcement.

Last year, almost 55,000 unique riders used the e-scooters for rent, taking approximately 252,000 rides.

The Ontario government launched a five-year pilot project for electric kick scooters to be used on municipal roads in 2020, allowing municipalities to opt in. While 2024 was set to be the fifth and final year allowing e-scooters to operate on municipal roads across Ontario, the Ministry of Transportation extended the project until November 2029 and allowed municipalities final say on whether to permit the two-wheeled vehicles to operate.

Here are the other rules for e-scooter use in Ottawa:

• Riders must be 16 years or older.
• E-scooters can operate on the City of Ottawa’s multiuse pathways, cycling facilities, and roads with a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour or lower.
• E-scooters are not allowed to operate on National Capital Commission pathways
• Maximum operating speed in Ottawa is 20 kilometres per hour.
• E-scooters cannot operate on sidewalks or in transit stations.
• Ottawa Public Health strongly recommends all users wear a helmet to reduce the risk of injury.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Natalie van Rooy