COQUITLAM, B.C., June 6, 2023 – Coquitlam is making it easier to access sustainable transportation in the City Centre neighbourhood with the approval of two shared-service providers for both e-scooters and e-bikes.
Coquitlam issued a request for proposals in March for both e-scooter and e-bike share providers, seeking up to two contracts in order to increase consumer choice, competition and resiliency. The selected applicants are Lime Technology Inc. and Neuron Mobility (Canada) Limited.
Pending final contract negotiation this month, contractors will be allowed to design, implement, own, operate, maintain and manage publicly-accessible dock less (i.e. not tied to a specific docking location) e-scooter and e-bike sharing systems for 18 months, which aligns with the current provincial e-scooter pilot underway in Coquitlam.
Fleet Size, Service Area and Pricing
Based on municipalities of a similar size and geography, the two shared-service providers for both e-scooters and e-bikes will provide 580 total devices (450 e-scooters and 130 e-bikes). The contractors will also provide helmets attached to the devices, as well as “how-to” tutorials as part of the mobile apps supporting use of the devices.
For the pilot program, the service area will include the City Centre neighbourhood, but may incrementally expand based on demand. All shared micromobility devices will need to be stored within micromobility parking stations within the Town Centre Zone (bounded by Coquitlam Centre, Lincoln Centre Station, Town Centre Park, City Hall and Douglas College).
Micromobility parking stations will be located within City right-of-ways at plazas at intersection corners, boulevard and furnishing zones next to sidewalks, and on-street reallocated designated curbside parking areas.
Pricing is similar between contractors: $1.15 and $1.19 unlocking fees, and $0.35 and $0.39 per minute with daily and monthly fees available, as well as discounted fares for users enrolled in subsidy programs.
A Sustainable Transportation Option
In support of the City’s sustainability and micromobility goals, earlier this year Coquitlam completed a series of bylaw amendments that allow people age 16 and up to use e-scooters in designated areas joining 11 other B.C. communities in a provincial government pilot project to research, test and evaluate the use of e-scooters as a low-carbon transportation option. The E-Mobility Strategy, currently under development as part of the Strategic Transportation Plan update, will focus the City’s priorities for e-mobility policy and program development.
E-scooters and other electric micromobility devices are becoming more popular as a less expensive and convenient forms of active transportation, well suited to urban areas and around transit hubs. The goals of the E-Mobility Strategy are to increase both electric vehicle and e-micromobility adoption, to increase transportation choices and shared vehicle use and reduce reliance on private vehicles.
These types of transportation modes will be an important part of achieving the proposed goals of the City’s Strategic Transportation Plan including 50 per cent sustainable mode share by 2050 and zero transportation GHG emissions.
Rider Education and Safety
The devices will have speed limiters for a maximum of 24 kilometres/hour and geofencing technology managing their operations within predetermined locations using the devices GPS system.
E-scooters can generally go wherever bicycles are allowed, including multi-use paths (MUPs), bike or micromobility lanes (i.e. lanes or areas on roadways specifically designated for bikes/e-bikes and scooters/e-scooters) and, generally, should follow the same rules and regulations as cyclists.
City staff are also working with HUB Cycling to lead at least three in-person community micromobility education workshops with both contractors in attendance providing devices and helmets for attendees.
More information is available at coquitlam.ca/escooter.
About Coquitlam’s Updated Strategic Transportation Plan
The City adopted the current Strategic Transportation Plan in 2012. Since then the City has made progress in increasing sustainable transportation in Coquitlam such as walking, cycling and public transit. There have also been significant changes in transportation over the last ten years, including the addition of SkyTrain, consideration of different kinds of street users, and emerging technologies to address climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Updating the new Strategic Transportation Plan is in Phase three and City staff are out through to early July 2023 seeking community feedback to the proposed vision and goals, as well as on the related Road Safety and E-Mobility strategies. Residents are encouraged to provide feedback before July 16 via the survey currently underway and available at letstalkcoquitlam/TransportationPlan.
The new Strategic Transportation Plan, anticipated for completion in mid-2024, will provide a refreshed long-term vision for Coquitlam’s transportation network with a focus on prioritizing key actions and policy changes for the next 10 years.
It will also align with other City plans such as the recently-adopted Environmental Sustainability Plan and the Economic Development Strategy, while also applying the City’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Media contact
Angela Jarvis
E-Mobility Manager
City of Coquitlam
epw@coquitlam.ca
604-927-3500
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-kwuh-tlum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), and other Coast Salish Peoples.