2024 Edmonton debut of e-scooters waiting on city review
At this time last year, e-scooters had been patrolling Edmonton streets for almost a month.
This year, they have yet to make their debut — and likely won't until the end of this month.
Jenny Albers, Edmonton's general supervisor of planning and permitting, told media on Thursday the city and prospective vendors are "in the final stages of a request for proposal" and hopes to soon announce which companies will supply shared e-scooters and e-bikes, with the "micromobility" vehicles "hopefully on streets by the end of May."
Last year, Bird Canada and Lime operated e-scooters and e-bikes in Edmonton in the final year of a two-year permit program, with Bird deploying 750 e-scooters and 250 e-bikes on city pathways, Lime about 1,500 such vehicles.
According to a city operations report presented Thursday to city council's urban planning committee, administration is updating the city's e-scooter program "based on the results of a program review, jurisdictional scan and public engagement," adding it will "provide more consistent service across the city and improve supplier compliance."
The report also said e-scooter trips increased 124 per cent from 2022, e-bike trips went up six per cent, and total trip kilometres increased by 98 per cent.
It says new program features will include parking locations, no-parking zones, slow zones and no-ride zones.
Albers said the city will continue to expand parking corrals and add no-parking zones in places it doesn't want them parked.
Committee member Karen Teng, the councillor for Ward Karhiio, said some of the changes to the e-scooter program the city wants to see includes "elevating" expectations for safety and accessibility.
"We have invested heavily in active transportation to meet our goals for shifting our modes of transportation to achieve our livability, our climate goals, etc.," Teng told media.
"This is about creating more alternative modes of transportation on the road. It's creating more options for people to get around our city. The report has some impressive numbers on the growth of usage.
"It means Edmontonians are very open to it. They're using it. People are excited about it. We're hearing lots of commentary about why (e-scooters are) not on the road already, so there's an eagerness."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.