Richmond participates in Provincial E-scooter pilot project


29 July 2021

Richmond City Council endorsed participation in the Province of BC’s active transportation electric kick scooter (e-scooter) three-year pilot project on May 25, 2021. Following provincial approval earlier this month, the City of Richmond is now a participating community in the provincial program.

The e-scooter pilot project supports a new low carbon mobility option for Richmond residents, work force, students and visitors, and encourages transit use with a solution for the first and last mile trip.

“The goal of bringing e-scooters to Richmond is to trial a safe, convenient and enjoyable personal mobility option that reduces private automobile use, and promotes active transportation and transit use,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Through monitoring and evaluation, the pilot project is an opportunity to understand the safety of e-scooters, impacts on the public realm, potential for travel mode shift, and community perceptions that in time, will help inform future active transportation initiatives.”

The pilot project allows the use of e-scooters within the City of Richmond in accordance with the provincial regulations and Richmond bylaws, which designate locations where the devices may be operated and at what speeds.

As e-scooters are relatively new transportation devices, a measured approach of permitting where e-scooters can operate and their maximum speeds during the pilot project will enable their safe introduction to riders and those who share the road and pathways with e-scooters.

Specific rules apply as to where and how fast the e-scooters can operate on public roadways and pathways. Within Richmond, e-scooters are permitted to operate only on:

  • designated cycling facilities
  • local streets defined as a street without lane lines or a directional dividing line with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less
  • streets with a directional dividing line and a maximum speed of 30 km per hour
  • off-street paved pathways next to the roadway or in parks that are signed or marked for shared use.

Maximum speeds limits are in place and vary – on roadways it is 20 km/h and on shared pathways the maximum speed is 15 km/h. In the presence of pedestrians on a shared pathways, riders must slow to a walking speed.

E-scooter riders must be a minimum of 16 years old, must wear a helmet, must not carry passengers, and must not ride on the sidewalk. Riders are not required to hold a driver’s licence.

Additional “Shared Use” signage will be added, where required, to paved pathways to identify where e-scooters can operate.

For more information, visit: https://www.richmond.ca/parks-recreation/parks-trails-cycling/cycling/e-scooter.htm and https://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/_10_-_Proposed_E-Scooter_Pilot_Project_CNCL_06282158737.pdf