North Shore won't have legalized e-scooters this summer

Those looking forward to getting around the North Shore, legally, on an electric kick scooter won’t get the chance this summer.

Last year, all three North Shore councils voted to join a pilot project from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to allow electric kick scooters on some streets and mobility lanes. The province announced in March that six municipalities had been included in the pilot, including the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver and the District of West Vancouver.

But the ministry left it to the municipalities to pass their own bylaws governing where the scooters can go.

The intent of the project is to give folks another car-free/carbon-free option for getting around. City of Vancouver council passed their bylaw last month formally allowing scooters on minor streets (without lane lines or directional driving lines) and protected bike lanes. The minimum age is 16 but otherwise, the rules are exactly those that must be followed by cyclists.

The three local municipalities are working together on one harmonized scooter bylaw for the North Shore, however, it won’t be ready until the rainy season arrives.

“Work is being carried out to determine a network where e-scooters could be safely permitted for use as part of the pilot. It is expected that this work will continue into the fall and early winter 2021,” read a statement from West Vancouver spokeswoman, Michaela Garston. “While we look forward to determining the best path forward to enabling these devices, e-scooters remain unpermitted on district roadways and multi-use paths until council adopts the necessary enabling pilot regulations into bylaw.”

A statement from the City of North Vancouver’s manager of transportation planning contained a similar message.