E-scooters similar to this one in Hamburg, Germany could be coming to Red Deer. (Unsplash)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

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E-scooter pilot could debut in Red Deer this summer

May 10, 2021 | 6:37 PM

A two-year e-scooter pilot is likely coming to Red Deer.

Monday, city council gave first reading to three bylaw changes in order to facilitate the project, which would begin July 1, 2021 and end Oct. 31, 2023, encompassing three summers for testing.

The proposal comes after administration reviewed similar pilots undertaken in Calgary and Edmonton.

Calgary’s ran July 2019 to Oct. 2020 and is becoming permanent. Edmonton’s runs through 2021.

Last summer, e-scooter businesses expressed interest in coming to Red Deer, prompting the look at Calgary and Edmonton’s initiatives. More inquiries were received this past winter, hence this proposal.

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What’s proposed for Red Deer is an open market model, with no caps on the number of businesses that can apply to the program, nor on the number of e-scooters one business may offer.

“This will allow for the market in Red Deer to determine the demand and the ongoing nature of what e-scooters look like in Red Deer,” writes Amy Fengstad, Parking and Licensing Supervisor, in a report to council. “Administration feels this would be a good opportunity for Red Deer.”

There is a minimum security deposit of $5,000 a business must file with The City at a maximum rate of $25 per scooter, meaning at the minimum deposit, one business can have up to 200 scooters. The maximum deposit is $15,000. Deposits will pay for City workers to retrieve scooters left in high-danger areas like intersections. Once depleted, it would need to be re-paid.

Approved businesses will drop off inventory at select sites such as the Collicutt and Bower Ponds.

Fengstad adds the pilot is designed to be cost-neutral for the municipality.

HOW TO GO FOR A RIDE

Scooters are propelled by electric motors and muscular power, they have steering handle bars and consist of a footboard mounted on two or three wheels.

Residents or visitors to the city would likely pick up a scooter from one of the select designated sites, but that’s not the only possibility.

“As people ride them, they can park it anywhere. Then, if you come across it, open the mobile app, pay for a session, and off you go,” Fengstad says. “With the businesses, they may decide that if you drop your e-scooter at a collection location, you get a discount on your next use to encourage not just dropping it in someone’s front yard.”

If you find a powerless one, contact the listed business and they’ll retrieve it.

Each scooter is GPS trackable, making them easily located, and the wheels lock both when it’s not in a session and when they leave designated geo zones, namely the city limits. This would prevent someone from riding it all the way to Gasoline Alley, for example.

A ride typically costs around $1 to start and switches to about 30 cents per minute, Fengstad says.

INJURIES AND VANDALISM

According to reports, including one by the CBC in July 2020, electric scooters have been the source of serious injuries in Calgary.

Fengstad says in an effort to avoid a similar scenario in Red Deer, The City would spend around $15,000 on public education about safe use, evaluation and communications over the three summers.

“People need to understand their limitations and comforts, if you’re unsure of your skill-set, don’t just jump on and go,” says Fengstad. “The companies have also expressed ability to have a beginner mode, so if you’re new to it, you can do that and move at a slower speed than the maximum 20 km/h. You build that comfort and avoid injury.”

They’re also limited to trails and sidewalks, which is the Calgary model. In Edmonton, scooters are permitted only on roadways.

Penalties added into the Business License Bylaw are applicable to businesses who fail to do things like obtain and keep provincial approval to operate, provide data and records about accidents and vandalism, and complete daily pick-ups of e-scooters. Fines range from $500 for a first offence to $10,000 for a third.

It’s said electric scooters offer benefits such as relieving congestion and reducing carbon emissions, saving time on short trips, and improved physical health.

Lime, which operates e-scooters in Calgary and Edmonton, also has them in Ottawa and Victoria, as well as numerous cities internationally. Roll Scooters also has them in Calgary, Ottawa and Kelowna. It wasn’t said which companies expressed interest in Red Deer.

The matter returns to council later this month.