Move Over Cyclists, Toronto Votes to Allow e-Scooters Bike Lane Access

Toronto, Ontario – Bicyclists will have some tough competition in the myriad of bike lanes throughout parts of this metropolis of 2.8 million inhabitants after the city council voted to allow e-Scooters access. The decision this past Thursday was far from a consensus with the vote being 23-17 in favor of allowing the rising alternative fueled scooters to ride the special bike lanes.

In one sense, it was the classic case of “NIMBY” or “not in my backyard”. There is support for the electric powered bicycles given their reduced carbon footprint, but there was resistance by cyclists to have to engage the faster moving scooters in their lanes. In the end, the city council agreed that it was in the public’s best interest to keep the battery powered scooters out of the path of much faster moving vehicles. Cycle Group Toronto had made it clear to the city council that they were against sharing their lanes with e-scooters because the space in the existing bike lanes was already cramped with existing cyclists.

Embattled mayor Robert Ford, still reeling from his drug scandal, voted along with the city council to grant bike lane access to the e-scooters. Mayor Ford’s powers have been greatly limited as a result of the scandal.

Source:
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2014/02/21/toronto_council_votes_to_allow_escooters_to_use_bike_lanes.html