City Hall Says E-Scooters Expected to Launch in Two Weeks – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

March 21, 2023
Hamiltonians will soon be able to rent E-Scooters for trips in the Lower City.
The City of Hamilton plans to launch the Bird Canada scooters in less than two weeks, according to a slide presented by City staff this morning.
The launch is planned for the morning of Monday, April 3rd.
Hamilton’s scooters will provide a maximum speed of 20 km/h when operating in permitted areas such as local roads, bike lanes, multi-use paths, and some trails.
Speeds will be limited to 10 km/h in non-permitted areas such as park pathways (i.e. crossing Victoria Park or Gage Park). The scooters will not operate on sidewalks.
“The ten-kilometre speed reduction does not apply to the sidewalks. You will come to a halt. They will stop,” stated Peter Topalovic, Program Manager – Sustainable Mobility Programs, City of Hamilton.
“We don’t want any sidewalk riding at all whatsoever.”
Topalovic says the Hamilton Bird scooters will have an acoustic warning system to ensure people hear them approaching. He says he thinks this is the first time a municipality is requiring this feature.
The service will begin in the Lower City, covering the same area presently serviced by Hamilton Bike Share – Wards 1, 2, and 3 and a portion of Downtown Dundas.
Topalovic says Bird can expand its service area after three months.
“That could be in various areas likely attached to the service area. Likely in the areas around Ward 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.”
The City is collecting a $5,000 base and $8 per scooter annual licensing fee.
Additionally, the City requires Bird to pay a $45 per device and $0.05 per trip fee to Hamilton Bike Share, and a $15 per device fee to Bike Share’s Everyone Rides program.
Bird has not yet announced their Hamilton rental rates.
In Calgary, Windsor, and Leduc, Bird charges $1.15 to unlock and 35 cents per minute to ride.