Where should people be allowed to ride e-scooters in Waterloo Region?

We want to know what you think of the e-bike/e-scooter share service operated by Neuron Mobility and get your recommendations for improving e-bike/e-scooter sharing in Waterloo Region. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. The survey will close Monday November 6, 2023.

You can now find a dedicated EngageWR page for the Shared Micromobility Program with Neuron Mobility here.

There will be an opportunity for further public feedback on shared e-scooters and e-bikes on this EngageWR page later in the riding season.

https://www.engagewr.ca/shared-micromobility-program

A new e-scooter and e-bike share program is rolling out in Waterloo Region, starting April 14. In its first year, the program will include up to 500 e-bikes and 500 e-scooters for community members to rent until the end of October.

The Region of Waterloo, along with the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, have selected Neuron Mobility to run the e-scooter and e-bike share program. The program will provide a new environmentally sustainable travel choice for residents, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage active transportation in our community.

Neuron was selected for its strong track record of partnering with cities and its leadership when it comes to safety. All vehicles are equipped with helmets and technology to detect and restrict sidewalk riding.

The first vehicles for community members to use will be located at virtual stations in the downtown areas of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, and near transit stations. Available vehicles will gradually increase after April 14 and will be stationed in about 150 different locations.

Riders can download Neuron’s mobile app from the App Store or Google Play and get set up to ride in a matter of minutes. The app can also be used to locate available vehicles. For more information on the program, visit www.rideneuron.com/canada.

For rules for riding and how-to-ride information, visit www.scootsafe.com and select Waterloo Region.

Region of Waterloo and Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a single shared system operator across the three Cities. Regional Council directed staff to incorporate pedal-assist e-bikes as eligible fleet vehicles in the shared system.

Proposals from interested shared micromobility operators have been reviewed by the Project Team, and the preferred provider has been invited into a final round of negotiations before an official announcement is made.

Effective July 1, 2022, e-scooters are permitted within the Region and Cities on:

• All roads 50 km/hr or less
• All roads with bike lanes, regardless of speed limit
• On all boulevard multi-use paths
  • E.g., paved trails next to roads like Homer Watson Blvd.
• Select paved recreation multi-use trails
  • E.g., Iron Horse Trail, Spur Line Trail, etc.

Helmets are mandatory for all e-scooter riders, regardless of age.

Visit the e-scooter project timeline on this page and visit the Region's By-laws page for more information.

The Region and Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo will be looking at proposals for a shared rental system for bikes and e-scooters from September to October 2022.

The Project Team will work with the selected operator to set a 2023 launch date.