Carleton University has collaborated with Bird Canada to establish e-scooter parking sites on the edge of campus for the remainder of the City of Ottawa’s 2022 e-scooter pilot project season.
There are now two parking sites on campus; one at the main campus entrance roundabout, next to parking garage seven, and the other at the Bronson Avenue and Brewer Way entrance.
There are no immediate plans to add more parking stations. The university said it is testing the viability of the e-scooters as a means for students travelling to and from campus for now.
Carleton Sustainability Manager Philip Mansfield said the partnership could help reduce local traffic.
“A number of campus members live close enough to avoid car travel,” he said. “[Energy-efficient transit] is crucial to reduce carbon emissions and avoid local traffic congestion.”
The partnership is in a pilot phase for the fall term and will be reviewed to see if it makes sense to continue in 2023, according to Mansfield.
The City of Ottawa’s 2022 e-scooter pilot project season will operate until Nov. 15, weather permitting.
The project’s long-term aim is for Carleton students and staff to “realize the potential of using e-scooters and other forms of active transportation to get to campus,” Mansfield added.
Due to safety concerns, e-scooters will not be permitted for use on campus grounds.
“Some concerns were raised about the safety of scooters being left across campus, accessibility concerns arising from this, and if these would be used in areas such as tunnels or in buildings,” Mansfield said.
E-Scooters have built-in GPS systems that prevent them from entering the campus “no-ride zone.” These also prevent riders from parking them in “no-park zones.”
In an email to the Charlatan, Rebecca Peters, public relations director of Bird Canada, said the company plans to host safety events on campus before the end of September to educate students on how to ride and park safely.
Event attendees will be given free helmets, she added. While helmets are not required to ride the e-scooters, the university is encouraging students to wear them.
According to Bird Canada chief operating officer Alex Petre, the company has reached out to the university but dates have not been determined yet.
The price to ride the e-scooters is $1.15 plus $0.42 per minute of riding, but the company said it is removing unlock fees for students and only charging per minute of riding.
According to Petre, students are currently able to receive the discounts around campus based on their location. The Charlatan could not confirm whether the discounts were working or not.
Featured image by L. Manuel Baechlin.
