E-scooters

How can I report a misparked e-scooter?

Shared e-scooter providers have committed to respond to mis-parked e-scooters within 15 minutes, down from 1 hour in the previous year. Residents can report mis-parked e-scooters and other concerns, using the City’s new dedicated e-form or by calling 3-1-1. To assist with reporting, each e-scooter has a printed number on it to identify the e-scooter in question.

In App Reporting:

If you would like to report a mis-parked e-scooter directly through the app, you can do so on both provider apps. For both apps, you can take a picture of the improper parking and submit it through the app.

Bird app has a triangle icon with an exclamation mark on the main screen. When you click on it, you’re given the option of reporting improper parking. If you would like to report any issues related to e-scooters, you can do so in the Bird Canada app by clicking on the top left menu button and selecting: Report an Issue.

Neuron app has a triangle icon with an exclamation mark and a headset icon with the word Help on the main screen. When you click on it, you’re given the option of reporting improper parking.

How can I report sidewalk riding?

Residents can report mis-parked e-scooters and other concerns, using the City’s new dedicated e-form or by calling 3-1-1. To assist with reporting, each e-scooter has a printed number on it to identify the e-scooter in question. This data will be tracked by By-law and Regulatory Services who will share this data with the appropriate vendor and Ottawa Police.  

Where can I ride an e-scooter?

Following the City’s E-Scooter By-Law no 2020-174, shared and personal e-scooters can operate on the City’s multiuse pathways, cycling facilities like cycle tracks and bike lanes and on roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or lower.

Shared and personal e-scooters are not permitted to operate on sidewalks.

Personal e-scooters may be walked on to O-Train vehicles.

Shared e-scooter providers use geofence technology to create “no ride”, “no park” and “slow zones” including transit stations, NCC pathways, the ByWard Market (with the exception of York Street) and City of Ottawa parking garages.

Where can I park an e-scooter?

This year, e-scooters must be parked upright in either a physical designated parking space which are signed or in the permitted areas identified digitally in each of the e-scooter provider’s app. These permitted parking areas are within the Furniture Zone that is located only within sidewalks that are at least two (2) metres wide (i.e. the area  out of the path of travel, in line with bike racks and benches). You will not be permitted to park anywhere else apart from these designated parking areas.

Here are examples of the furniture zone and examples of designated parking areas

How can I report a misparked e-scooter?

Shared e-scooter providers have committed to respond to mis-parked e-scooters within 15 minutes, down from 1 hour in the previous year. Residents can report mis-parked e-scooters and other concerns, using the City’s new dedicated e-form or by calling 3-1-1. To assist with reporting, each e-scooter has a printed number on it to identify the e-scooter in question.

In App Reporting:

If you would like to report a mis-parked e-scooter directly through the app, you can do so on both provider apps. For both apps, you can take a picture of the improper parking and submit it through the app.

Bird app has a triangle icon with an exclamation mark on the main screen. When you click on it, you’re given the option of reporting improper parking. If you would like to report any issues related to e-scooters, you can do so in the Bird Canada app by clicking on the top left menu button and selecting: Report an Issue.

Neuron app has a triangle icon with an exclamation mark and a headset icon with the word Help on the main screen. When you click on it, you’re given the option of reporting improper parking.

How can I report sidewalk riding?

Residents can report mis-parked e-scooters and other concerns, using the City’s new dedicated e-form or by calling 3-1-1. To assist with reporting, each e-scooter has a printed number on it to identify the e-scooter in question. This data will be tracked by By-law and Regulatory Services who will share this data with the appropriate vendor and Ottawa Police.  ​​​​​

Noise

A continuous sound emission will be required for all shared e-scooters while rented by a rider. The sound must be distinguishable from the typical background noise present in a streetside environment. This safety technology is to ensure pedestrians and all road users are aware of their presence.

Regulations and Safety

The following regulations are in place for shared e-scooters for the 2022 pilot project.

• Riders must be 16 years or older
• The operating speed limit is 20 km/hr or 12 km/h in designated ‘slow zone’
• Shared e-scooters from providers can used daily from 6 am to 11 pm
• For riders under 18, a helmet is required to ride the e-scooter.  Ottawa Public Health (OPH) strongly recommends all users wear a helmet to reduce the risk of injury.
• Each scooter is allowed a single rider at a time
• Follow proper riding and parking behaviour.

The Electric Kick Scooter By-Law allows for Ottawa Police Services to issue fines for violations such as sidewalk riding, which is a $150 fine. E-scooter providers can suspend or ban riders for violations.

COVID-19 sanitization protocols include: vehicles will be disinfected daily; riders will be reminded in-app to wash their hands as vehicles are not disinfected between riders.

Shared e-scooters are not disinfected between users and users should also plan to bring their own disinfectant wipes and wash your hands before and after using the e-scooter, as it is a high-touch surface. In addition, riders should avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Riders should not operate shared e-scooters if they are feeling sick or unwell as specified in a self-assessment screening tool.

Riders should maintain a 2-meter separation distance from other riders or pedestrians; and wear a cloth mask if maintaining the 2-metre distance will not be possible.

As per the Highway Traffic Act riders should not operate e-scooters while impaired.

For more information or to provide feedback about the project, please contact the City’s e-scooter pilot project team at escooter@ottawa.ca

The 2022 E-Scooter Deployment Area, No Ride Zones, aside from sidewalks (not shown), and Slow Ride Zones are visible in the interactive map below. E-scooters are not permitted on sidewalks and NCC pathways.

For the 2022 season, the riding zone will be introduced in phases. The initial deployment areas are visible in the map below.

Below you will find the interactive map directions:

• Clicking on the +/- symbols or using the scroll button on your mouse also allows users to zoom in and out.
• To pan, click on the map and hold while moving the mouse in the desired direction.
• Click on an area to have information regarding the area pop-up on the map.
• The legend can be viewed by clicking on the Legend toggle in the upper left corner of the map.
• To view aerial imagery, use the Layer toggle button in the upper left corner of the map and toggle it on.
• This application works best in the Google Chrome web browser.

Common questions

Following a competitive procurement process, Bird Canada and Neuron Mobility have been selected as the preferred proponents to operate shared e-scooters in Ottawa for the 2022 e-scooter season.

The 2022 season is approved to operate until November 15, 2022 (weather permitting) and will have a total maximum combined fleet size of 900 e-scooters (reduced from 1200 in 2021).

The 2022 program will continue to focus on reducing sidewalk riding and improper parking by ensuring vendors have the most up-to-date technology on their e-scooter.

Safety and accessibility features and innovations were prioritized when the City looked at which providers to select. The City’s Accessibility Office participated in the evaluation process.

City staff will monitor the roll out closely and meet with the e-scooter providers regularly to give real-time feedback to ensure corrective action is promptly carried out when needed.

City staff are continuing to work with e-scooter providers to ensure new innovations to encourage proper riding behaviour and to reduce sidewalk riding and improper parking. Mitigation efforts during the 2022 season include:

• The use of the latest GPS technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), allowing for more accurate location identification of individual e-scooters, refined throughout the initial weeks;
• Detection technologies to help deter sidewalk riding by notifying riders that sidewalk riding is not allowed and disengaging the motor so they can safely return to a nearby bike lane or street;
• Education programs;
• More service provider staff proactively patrolling, monitoring, communicating with riders, and issuing fines and/or bans;
• A streamlined reporting process via an e-form helping to monitor field conditions and reduce the burden on residents;
• Providers are required to proactively monitor and action mis-parked complaints within 15 minutes;
• Provider apps will only allow riders to end their rides in designated parking areas, both virtual and physical; and
• Fines will be issued, and users can be removed from the app if they do not follow rules.

New this year, are dedicated By-law Officers who will patrol the deployment area while providing education and enforcement. The By-law Officers have the authority to impound any e-scooters for any infraction, regardless of the 15 minutes time frame provided to the vendor.

The 2021 pilot season, which ran from May 28, 2021, to November 30, 2021, saw a fleet of 1200 e-scooters deployed by Bird Canada, Lime, and Neuron Mobility. These vendors were selected through a competitive procurement process. During the season, more than 127,000 riders took over 492,000 separate trips throughout the expanded permitted deployment area south of the Ottawa River, west of the Rideau River, north of Highway 417 and east of Parkdale Avenue.  A major focus of the 2021 program was to reduce sidewalk riding and improper parking, issues that arose in the 2020 season. Safety and accessibility features and innovations were prioritized while selecting the e-scooter providers.

City staff worked closely with e-scooter providers to pilot new innovations that encouraged proper riding behaviour. Some technologies that were explored during the 2021 program included:

• Automatic alerts that notified providers if an e-scooter had remained tipped over for a period of time so the issue could be addressed;
• Different technologies to detect and prevent sidewalk riding;
• A constant sound emitter, alerting pedestrians of an approaching e-scooter;
• Incentives to riders for good parking behaviour;
• A training mode for new riders with a reduced operating speed; and,
• Designated parking locations for e-scooters within and in addition to furniture zone parking.

Shared e-scooter providers committed to respond to mis-parked e-scooters within one hour. Residents could submit general inquiries or report complaints  by contacting the company by phone, e-mail or through their app. Residents could also contact the City at 3-1-1.

On March 23, 2022, Council received the results of the 2021 Electric Kick Scooter Strategy and Pilot and approved the continuance of the pilot in 2022. Staff recommended several changes for the 2022 pilot season as detailed in the report.

On January 1, 2020, the Province of Ontario started a five-year kick e-scooter pilot allowing municipalities to opt in and choose where and how e-scooters may be used in accordance with a set of provincial regulations.  Any information gathered from municipalities in the duration of the project will aid in determining if e-scooter use will permanently be allowed in Ontario and if so, what rules will be regarding their operation.

Provincial regulations include:

• Riders must be 16 or older, helmets are required for riders under 18
• Speed limit is 24km/hr.
• E-scooters must be equipped with a bell, a brake, lights, and no basket
• Single rider only

On June 10, 2020  Council approved the Electric Kick Scooter Strategy and Pilot Project, Draft By-law and Bike Sharing and Electric Kick Scooter Sharing Agreements with Service Providers. Subsequently, Council enacted the Electric Kick Scooter By-law on June 24, 2020,  making it legal to operate e-scooters on June 29, 2020, initiating the City of Ottawa’s participation in the pilot program.

In addition to provincial regulations, the By-law states:

• E-scooters can operate on multiuse pathways, cycling facilities, and roads with a speed limit 50 km/h or lower
• Maximum operating speed in Ottawa is 20 km/h
• E-scooters cannot operate on sidewalks or transit stations

The 2020 shared e-scooter pilot season ran from July to October and saw a fleet of 600 e-scooters deployed by Bird Canada, Lime, and Roll. During the season, more than 72,720 riders took over 238,000 separate trips throughout the central deployment area.  The deployment area where e-scooters were permitted encompassed an area south of the Ottawa River, west of the Rideau River, north of Highway 417 and east of Parkdale Avenue.  The pilot program was designed to gauge public interest in the use of e-scooters and evaluate safe and courteous riding and parking.

On February 10, 2021, Council approved  the 2020 E-Scooter Pilot Report and Strategy which evaluated the 2020 pilot and recommended continuing the pilot in 2021.  Staff recommended several changes for the 2021 pilot season as detailed in the report.