Electric kick scooters are officially getting the boot off Oak Bay sidewalks.
Tweaks to the traffic bylaw during a Jan. 20 council meeting, where the changes unanimously got past third reading – include banning the electric scooters from district sidewalks, and adjusting the speed limit on Gordon Head Road from Cedar Hill Cross Road to McKenzie Avenue.
Oak Bay is among the municipalities participating in the e-scooter pilot project that began in 2021 where the use of electric kick scooters was tested in 13 participating communities over a three-year period. That shifted to a four-year provincial safety review that started April 5, 2024.
“The review enables the collection of better health and safety data, which is needed to address outstanding questions about the safe integration of e-scooters into transportation networks. This will help determine if and how electric kick scooters should be permanently authorized for general use in B.C.,” according to the province.
At the same time, the province passed new legislation aimed to protect cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
The safe passing distance rules require drivers to leave a minimum distance of one metre when passing people on bikes, e-bikes, mobility devices and autonomous vehicles. That distance increases to 1.5 metres on highways with a posted speed limit above 50 km/h.
Oak Bay opted to participate in the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure pilot project while also regulating the use of e-scooters to minimize conflicts between riders and pedestrians and tasked staff with amending the streets and traffic bylaw to prohibit the use of electric kick scooters on sidewalks.
The other change to the bylaw aligns with Saanich, which borders Oak Bay on Gordon Head Road. Recently, Saanich reduced the speed limit north of McKenzie Avenue to 40 km/h as part of that district’s ongoing traffic safety program. Oak Bay subsequently received correspondence seeking a similar speed limit on the Oak Bay side for consistency. The boundary road will go from the current posted speed limit of 50 km/h to 40.
Both initiatives fall within existing operations, according to staff, with costs of additional signage fitting within the existing operational budget.
