COQUITLAM, B.C., March 14, 2024 – Coquitlam is extending its commitment to promote greener travel through an extension of its e-scooter pilot to 2028 while also moving forward with a broader E-Mobility Strategy.
On Monday, Council supported the City’s continued participation in the provincial electric kick scooter pilot for another four years, enabling people age 16 and up to ride e-scooters on designated routes throughout Coquitlam or use the e-scooter and e-bike sharing services in City Centre.
The City is also planning improvements to e-scooter/e-bike sharing, including expanded range and safety features, based on data collected during 55,000 trips during the six months of the pilot.
Improving Access in 2024
Data from 2023 and the shared micromobility pilot demonstrates the popularity of e-scooter/e-bike sharing, introduced in City Centre in late June 2023.
- Over six months, people took about 55,000 trips, mostly by e-scooter (94 per cent).
- 300 daily trips averaged about 9 minutes and 1.5 kilometres.
- One-third started or ended within 100 metres of a SkyTrain station.
While the data showed travel on all routes, the most traveled routes (Pinetree, Guildford and Trevor Wingrove Way) align with areas identified as part of Coquitlam’s growing active transportation network, demonstrating strong demand for travel options along those routes.
Based on data, lessons learned and feedback, steps in 2024 to improve access include:
- Keeping the service within City Centre but increasing the range north to David Avenue and south on Lougheed Highway to Dewdney Trunk Road.
- Adding more e-scooter dockless parking stations where demand is heaviest, and working with TransLink to add designated parking at the Coquitlam Central SkyTrain station.
- Working with the sharing service operators to add signage and other measures to reduce misparked devices.
- Increasing the number of e-bikes available.
- Working with the sharing service operators to improve and promote discount pricing programs.
Continuing Focus on Safety and Education
City staff have not received any reports of injuries from the e-scooter/e-bike sharing contractors, emergency responders or the public. Still, public safety remains a priority through elements such as helmets, maximum speeds and online safety information.
Building on these efforts and public feedback, plans for 2024 include expanding slow zones, hosting additional public workshops and ongoing education and feedback.
All information will be available at coquitlam.ca/escooter, through social media and other communications.
A Sustainable Transportation Option
The provincial government recently extended its e-scooter pilot to 2028, which gives participating communities, including Coquitlam, more time to evaluate e-scooters as a low-carbon transportation option for standalone trips and connecting to transit.
The e-scooter project dovetails with the City’s support of active transportation (sometimes also called micromobility) – people-powered and electric bikes, scooters and skateboards. It also supports the City’s goal that by 2050, 50% of all trips in the city will be by foot, micromobility and/or transit, as outlined in the Strategic Transportation Plan update planned for a winter 2024 release
It also helps Coquitlam meet its climate commitments in the Environmental Sustainability Plan and economic goals in the Economic Development Strategy.
Work Supported through E-Mobility Strategy
Council also received an update on progress related to the E-Mobility Strategy. This Strategy, part of the ongoing update to the Strategic Transportation Plan, provides a framework and best practices to support all forms of electric transportation in Coquitlam including e-bikes, e-scooters and electric vehicles.
Through public engagement for the Strategic Transportation Plan in mid-2023, the feedback showed that:
- 91 per cent of existing electric vehicle owners were satisfied with their vehicle.
- Renters are more likely to report difficulties accessing public charging (63 per cent) compared to homeowners (50 per cent).
- Challenges identified for more electric micromobility (i.e. e-bikes and e-scooters) include concern around device theft (77 per cent), sharing space with drivers (70 per cent) and travelling in bad weather (53 per cent).
Based on this feedback, the project team has identified three key focus areas for the E-Mobility Strategy:
- Encouraging greater use of EV’s and e-micromobility devices, both for personal use and also for City fleet vehicles
- Increasing charging and parking infrastructure
- Growing and developing a culture around e-mobility through continued public education
Next steps in the development of the strategy include creating tangible action items under each focus area. These actions will be shared later in 2024.
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 (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.