After facing mobility limitations due to ailments like long-Covid or joint pain, Alicia Besler’s customers have told her their electric kick scooter helped them reconnect with friends as they scooted along side during social walks.
“It’s generally really opened up their world as to what they can do, their freedom and their independence,” said the co-owner of Ride the Glide in Saanich, which sells electric scooters, bikes and more.
Victoria council on March 7 voted to join a provincial pilot that allows the legal use of electric kick scooters in participating communities. The move means riders will be allowed to scoot along city roads and in bike lanes, so long as they’re over the age of 16 and wear a helmet.
Interest in the scooters at Ride the Glide has steadily increased in recent years after Besler saw an uptick in demand during the pandemic, as people commuted less or redirected dormant vacation money toward the devices. People like how the scooters provide a convenient transportation option for running errands and how they fit in their apartment or on the bus, the business owner said.
As a fair-weather user of the scooters, Besler enjoys the sense of freedom they provide and getting to connect with the bounty of Greater Victoria’s nature as she commutes or rides for fun.
“It’s fun to feel the wind on your face and just get out and enjoy the fresh air,” she said, comparing those relaxing trips with the stress and aggravation of being suck in traffic.
Victoria staff said that joining the pilot supports mode shift and reduces household transportation costs in the city. The capital didn’t sign on when the pilot began in 2021, but the province recently extended it until 2028. Staff recommended joining this time around because there’s now less demand on city resources and there’s no longer the requirement of updating local bylaws.
Joining the pilot will also give VicPD more regulatory clarity as until now, there were enforcement grey areas, staff noted.
Several councillors acknowledged the scooters and all kinds of other emerging electric rides are already being used. The city said electric bikes, skateboards, balancing boards, scooters and wheelchairs are all increasing in popularity.
While Victoria staff have already been advocating that the province modernize the Motor Vehicle Act to allow a wider array of micro-mobility devices on city streets, a motion from two councillors on March 15 will call on the province to allow the electric rides and mobility scooters in bike lanes.
“The reality is we’re already there,” Coun. Jeremy Caradonna said. “The law and the regulations are so far beyond reality.”
Besler called the pilot project extremely limiting because most electric scooters currently on the market have higher speeds than what the pilot allows. The program permits e-scooters with speeds up to 24 km/h. They’re allowed on roads with speed limits under 50 km/h and in designated bike lanes on faster moving streets.
Victoria has the lowest personal car reliance in the Capital Regional District, which has seen a 42 per cent increase in trips by bike or micro-mobility options between 2017 and 2022.
Besler called Victoria joining the pilot a step in the right direction, but noted the province needs to widen its scope to consider the long-term use of roadways.
“This is only the beginning and people are going to get into it more and more,” Besler said. “This is already too limited for where we’re at right now.”
The next phase of the pilot will determine if scooters should be permanently authorized and evaluate how the popular devices can be safely integrated into the transportation network, the province said last December.
A majority of British Columbians surveyed during the pilot’s first phase said the scooters improve transportation options, and that they’re convenient and affordable.
A University of Victoria analysis commissioned by the CRD found that increased micro-mobility use reduced traffic congestion and emissions in Europe and Australia. It also said micro-mobility has been most effective at filling gaps in what’s known as the “first and last kilometre” of transportation systems, where transit options are far from people’s homes and their work or school destination.
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