*Province seeks to clear path for e-scooter arrival *

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/province-seeks-to-clear-path-for-e-s...

PROPOSED legislation would pave the way for e-scooters to hit roadways in Manitoba, after years of stalled efforts to launch micro-mobility services.

On Monday, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk introduced Bill 21, which would allow the government to approve pilot projects for dockless e-scooters, low-speed vehicles, and other micro-mobility devices currently prohibited on public right of ways.

“Expanding the use of low-emissions vehicles will help to reduce Manitoba’s greenhouse emissions,” Piwniuk said. “These changes will allow devices like electric kick scooters, low-speed vehicles to be tested safely while ensuring Manitoba keeps pace with other jurisdictions that are already testing and allowing these devices.”

Since early 2019, officials with the City of Winnipeg have been preparing for the arrival of dockless e-scooters, which have become popular in urban centres in Canada and Europe.

The e-scooters can be deployed on boulevards, in parks and plazas and rented through a smartphone application.

An administrative report from summer 2020 recommended the city ask the provincial government to approve a trial to operate on its transportation network.

At the time, a provincial spokesperson said the legislative framework to test e-scooters did not exist but could be considered in regulations under the Vehicle Technology Testing Act, which passed into law in May.

Ultimately, the Vehicle Technology Testing Act would only cover autonomous vehicles. Pilot project regulations for self-driving cars are still in development.

In a statement, Ryan Palmquist, executive assistant to public works chairman Coun. Matt Allard, said the proposed legislative changes are welcome news.

Allard was out of town Tuesday and unavailable for an interview, Palmquist said.

“At most recent communication, we understand the industry to still be interested in coming to Winnipeg with both scooter- and bike-share options,” Palmquist said. “With these welcome (Highway Traffic Act) amendments from the province, we can now resume working with the public service to develop an appropriate bylaw to allow this new micro-mobility and mode-shift service in Winnipeg.”

Chris Luvancigh, general manager for Lime Canada, said the company is also open to exploring the possibility of bringing micro-mobility services to Winnipeg. The company currently has a network of electric scooters, mopeds and e-bikes in more than 30 countries and four Canadian cities.

“Lime is glad to see more and more Canadian cities warming to micro-mobility as a way to build transportation systems that are more sustainable, affordable, and accessible to all,” Luvancigh said in a statement.

Bill 21 would also allow municipalities to designate streets as “shared streets” for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and other users with speed limits of no more than 20 km/h.

Palmquist said an administrative report on the past two years of the city’s open streets and enhanced bike route programs is expected in April. Last spring, pedestrians were told to stick to the sidewalk after taking to the streets in 2020, when some seasonal active transportation routes were opened to foot traffic.

Under the Highway Traffic Act, pedestrians are prohibited from walking on roadways where a reasonably passable sidewalk is present.

“It’s our hope that many of the more successful routes, particularly those which filled gaps and improved connectivity of our active transportation network, can return in their original shared use form from 2020 on a permanent basis,” Palmquist said.

“We have already reached out to the public service for their take on how these amendments can strengthen this program.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca