OTTAWA — Electric-powered vehicles including heavier “scooter-type” e-bikes are now prohibited from National Capital Commission pathways, according to a report issued by the NCC on Thursday.
“Power-assisted bicycles that are physically similar to conventional bicycles” are still allowed on pathways, the NCC says, but “scooter-type power-assisted bicycles (i.e. with a fairing) are prohibited.” (A fairing is a rigid plastic covering to deflect wind and rain or to reduce drag.)
The same rules are in place for parkways closed to vehicles for the NCC’s Sunday Bikedays and Saturday Short Loops programs.
E-bikes are classified under Transport Canada regulations as “power-assisted” bicycles, and can reach speeds of 32 km/h with their electric motors.
The NCC conducted public consultations earlier this year after it proposed rules for those and other electric vehicles “in response to the arrival of these new types of vehicles and to mitigate the various issues relating to them — particularly issues affecting user safety,” the report says.
Overall, people were in favour of the proposed rules, the report says. It suggests the increased weight of heavier e-bikes raises safety concerns if a collision occurs, but “power-assisted bicycles that resemble conventional bicycles is a way to encourage greater accessibility to the Capital Pathway,” since seniors and other physically-challenged people can cover greater distances and climb hills.
“Moreover, active mobility is a basic principle of greenways. A conventional-type power-assisted bicycle is powered in part by muscular power, while the scooter-type assisted bicycle is usually powered entirely by its electric motor (the pedals being more an accessory than an essential component for mobility),” the report says.
The heavier “scooter-type” e-bikes are instead directed toward bike lanes on NCC roads, where any type of power-assisted bike is permitted, according to the report. (All other electric-powered vehicles are banned from NCC bike lanes.)
All electric-powered vehicles are prohibited on “natural surface trails” intended for hiking and mountain biking at Gatineau Park, the NCC says.
The new rules do not apply to mobility aids, such as motorized wheelchairs and three- and four-wheel electric scooters.
The NCC plans a communications campaign in the spring to ensure people are aware of the new rules, which take effect immediately. New signage is to be installed on the NCC pathways this winter.
In response to other feedback heard during public consultations, the report says the NCC is trying to find a solution to the issue of cyclists travelling faster than the 20 km/h speed limit on pathways, and “plans to continue its efforts to educate the public.”