Expanded e-scooter zones in Edmonton will lead to 'a more connected city': officials

E-bike and e-scooters in Edmonton will be able to range farther out from downtown soon as riding zones are expanded.

There are three companies in Edmonton that offer e-bikes and e-scooters for rent currently, Bird Canada, Lime and Neuron.

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"Really pleased to see the expansion of e-scooter zones," said Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador. "The city of Edmonton in particular has experienced significant ridership increases when it comes to e-scooters and other forms of micro mobility, including the e-bikes that are now deployed in our city. So seeing that expanded into other communities that have been asking for it for quite a while is exciting."

Lime Scooters said it saw a 195-per-cent increase in rides between 2022 and 2023, with Edmonton ranking in the top three cities globally in terms of demand during April and other periods last year. 

On Aug. 14, the existing riding zone perimeters will be expanded to include areas southwest to Anthony Henday Drive, north to 137 Avenue and parts of Castle Downs and east to 50 Street.

A map showing the current and expanded e-bike and e-scooter riding zones. (City of Edmonton)

Salvador says more people in her ward will now be able to access the devices.

"What really gets me excited about the expansion of micro mobility is opportunities to plug into our existing transit system," she said.

"Those shorter trips that people might not feel comfortable or have the ability to to walk, but being able to scooter to a transit centre, to the LRT, to the bus, really opens the door for a more connected city." 

The city is allowing the three vendors to add more e-bikes and e-scooters to their fleets for the expanded zones.

The companies have licenses for public road right-of-way and can set their own boundaries within the expanded perimeters, according to the city.

Shewkar Ibrahim, City of Edmonton director of traffic operations, said a total of 650 e-scooters and 22 e-bikes will be added across the city. 

The general manager for Bird Canada says the company is excited about the expansion.

"Edmonton is one of the biggest cities in Canada in terms of usage for micro mobility, and we have only seen demand continue to go up year after year after year," Pat Graham told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.E-scooters are back in Edmonton - with some changes. (File Photo)

Graham says he expects usage in the new areas will be less about touristy rides, and more about practicality.

"There's probably going to be less of that in these communities and more just everyday transportation use cases, whether it's getting to the bus, getting to the grocery store, getting to work, or getting downtown to the office. All things that we expect to see in large amounts in these new communities." 

Shared e-bikes and e-scooters can be ridden on shared pathways, bike lanes and roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or lower, according to the city.

They cannot be ridden on sidewalks or park trails not maintained by the city.

A map showing bike routes and parking corrals is available on the city's website.

Shared e-bikes and e-scooters have had more than 93,000 hours of use so far this riding season, according to the city.

Rules and additional information about the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in Edmonton is available on the city's website.