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Zachary Weeks is no stranger to e-scooters blocking his path when travelling along sidewalks in Edmonton.
Most times, Weeks, who uses a mobility aid, is able to find a way around the obstacle, but he says he knows of others who might not.
“It affects people all differently depending on what their disability is,” said Weeks, the vice-president of Voice of Albertans with Disabilities.
“It can be quite frustrating for those trying to get out and about in the community.”
Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette says he is familiar with these concerns and he wants city council to do something about it.
He plans to put forward a motion at city hall next month to ask councillors to consider creating a “geo-fenced” parking model for micro-mobility devices like e-scooters and e-bikes. He said his proposal is aimed at preventing the vehicles from cluttering sidewalks and roads.
Paquette noted that cluttered roads and sidewalks can disproportionately affect people who use mobility aids.
“People say, ‘Oh well. Just go around,’” Paquette told CBC News on Wednesday. “When you’re in a wheelchair or walker, it’s not quite that easy.
“Folks utilize our infrastructure, and so we want to make sure that that continues. But with more people using them, … we’ve also got to put in some guardrails.”
Zachary Weeks is the vice-president of advocacy group Voice of Albertans With Disabilities. He says he is no stranger to e-scooters blocking his path when travelling along sidewalks in Edmonton. (Paul Rampersaud/CBC)
The city currently has some parking rules for e-scooters, but Paquette said they need to be more robust.
He said he envisions potentially having specific drop-off points for e-scooters and that he would like micro-mobility operators to only complete a person’s ride if the scooter is dropped off in an approved zone. If not, riders would be charged by operators for non-compliance.
To ensure the motion’s impact is felt, Weeks said its implementation needs to be a collaborative effort between the city and micro-mobility companies.
“It’s all about taking care of your community, taking care of the people in the community, but also the equipment that you’re using,” he said.
LISTEN | Coun. Paquette on e-scooter parking:
Radio Active5:50Concerns grow over where e-scooters park and how they’re used
Shared e-scooters and e-bikes have been in Edmonton for years, and complaints about blocked sidewalks keep coming up. Now, Coun. Aaron Paquette plans to present a motion to council to set clearer rules for parking and placement.
Spokespeople from Lime Micromobility, Bird Canada and Neuron Mobility told CBC News the companies want to work with the city on this goal, and specifically want to ensure that their vehicles aren’t impeding the accessibility of sidewalks for people with mobility concerns.
“It’s an essential service that we want to make sure continues to be convenient and affordable and sustainable, but also not disrupt the non-riders of the community,” Patrick Graham, the general manager of Bird Canada, said in an interview on Wednesday.
“We understand where the motion is coming from and we’ll want to work collaboratively going forward to come up with … changes we think are enforceable and not overly punitive to riders.”
Edmonton currently has some parking rules for e-scooters, but Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette says they need to be more robust. (Paul Rampersaud/CBC)
The motion will be brought forward at an urban planning committee meeting on May 12. Paquette said he’s not expecting pushback from other city councillors because similar rules have been implemented in other Canadian cities such as Ottawa and Montreal.
“It’s a simple thing we can do that makes our city a lot more presentable and also makes access to these vehicles a lot easier,” he said.
If Paquette’s motion results in change, it could encourage people to think before they act, said Weeks, noting he’s not upset that e-scooters are available, just concerned with how parking is enforced.
“They can be a great addition to the city,” Weeks said. “It’s just how we responsibly use them in a way that everyone isn’t put between a scooter and a hard place.”