FAQs

No. Given the weight and ability to operate at speeds considerably higher than pedestrians and cyclists, mopeds and other e-scooters and e-bikes that resemble motorcycles follow similar regulations as motorcycles. Using a motorcycle or moped requires a license, insurance, and registration to operate. 

Removing the pedals of a pedal assist bicycle makes it a motor vehicle, which requires a license, insurance, and registration to operate. 

It is illegal to modify the electric motor of a pedal assist bicycle to make it more powerful or to increase its assisted speed. 

Does this project include electric cargo bikes or cargo cycles?

While cargo electric bikes and electric cargo cycles present opportunities for industrial businesses, delivery, food, and other types of business, in addition to creating mobility options for seniors and families, this project does not include cargo electric bikes or cargo cycles. 

The province of Ontario currently has a separate project focusing on cargo electric bikes. Currently, Town staff have not received direction to participate in the cargo e-bike pilot project. This pilot program runs from March 1, 2021 to March 1, 2026. Residents have the option of expressing their interest in having the Town participate in this pilot to their respective councillors. 

People can use electric kick scooters on Regional Roads with a posted speed limit of up to 60km/h:

• Within a bicycle lane; or
• If bicycle lanes do not exist, people can use pedal assist bicycles as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway or within a paved shoulder.

Currently, electric kick scooters are not permitted on Town roads. 

Should the Town permit electric kick scooters on Town roads, bicycle lanes, or paved shoulders? Share your thoughts in the survey. 

People can use pedal assisted bicycles on Regional and Town roads with a posted speed limit of up to 60km/h

• Within a bicycle lane; or
• If bicycle lanes do not exist, people can use pedal assist bicycles as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway or within a paved shoulder.

E-bikes, including pedal assist e-bikes, are currently not permitted on multi-use paths and trails. 

Should the Town permit pedal assist electric bicycles on multi-use paths and trails? Share your thoughts in the survey. 

The ability of e-bikes to travel up to 32km/h can be a concern when it comes to sharing space on trails and multi-use paths with pedestrians, including people who are blind, people with dogs, and people with strollers. 

While it is possible for people using e-bikes to travel at speeds up to 32km/h, it does not mean that they will. Research has shown that most people who use pedal assist bicycles operate them at speeds at an average of 1-4km faster than conventional bicycles. Many e-bike users are people with physical limitations who rely on the pedal assist to travel uphill or to go further distances. 

Companies providing shared e-scooters and e-bikes can limit their speed in designated areas to speeds comparable to walking or biking (such as limiting the speed to 10-15km/h on the Waterfront Trail).

Companies operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes can prevent or respond to concerns about improper parking by:

• Requiring proof of parking in designated areas and charging users if they have not parked in these areas.
• Sending company staff to retrieve abandoned scooters to prevent litter or obstacles.

There are also some companies operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes that are not dockless and that must be parked at designated charging stations. 

Different from shared dockless e-scooters and e-bikes, people who own their own e-scooters are less likely to park them in places that may cause obstruction or pollution. 

Companies operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes can prevent or respond to concerns about the risk of fire from improperly charged e-scooters and e-bikes by changing the battery and maintaining/repairing the shared e-scooters on a regular basis.

There are also companies providing shared e-scooters and e-bikes that require users to park them in designated charging areas that are regularly monitored and maintained. 

Like owning a car or a motorcycle, privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes require maintenance, occasional repair, and care. E-scooter and e-bike batteries must also be charged properly to reduce the risk of fire or damage. The Town can provide information on charging, maintenance, and fire prevention. 

Town staff can explore opportunities to collaborate with organizations providing advocacy and services for people with sight loss. 

Companies operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes can prevent or respond to concerns about improper parking by:

• Requiring proof of parking in designated areas and charging users if they have not parked in these areas.
• Sending company staff to retrieve abandoned scooters to prevent litter or obstacles.

There are also some companies operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes that are not dockless and that must be parked at designated charging stations. 

Different from shared dockless e-scooters and e-bikes, people who own their own e-scooters are less likely to park them in places that may cause obstruction or pollution. 

Town staff will use feedback from residents to inform the recommendations to Council on where to permit electric kick scooters and pedal assist e-bikes. The best way to have your concerns heard is to complete the 25 question survey on the IMO page. 

Comments on social media posts or tweets are challenging to track and analyze given the Towns’ current staff capacity. It is far more effective to complete the survey than to comment on social media posts. Survey responses will be illustrated in aggregate form. Individual quotations from the surveys may be used with reference to the survey responses and not to a specific individual. We do not ask for your name. 

The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It provides context and clarification so that residents have accurate information about the risks, benefits, and project scope. The survey provides context and clarifies misunderstandings such as the difference between shared vs privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes, definitions, and measures that can be used to reduce speeds and prevent improper parking.

There is a separate section in the survey because there are different risks, benefits, and accommodations between shared devices versus privately owned devices. 

Using the survey results, Town staff will provide recommendations to Council for both shared and privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes. The resulting recommendations on where e-scooters and e-bikes can be operated may be different for shared vs privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes. 

Different from shared dockless e-scooters and e-bikes, people who own their own e-scooters are less likely to park them in places that may cause obstruction or pollution. 

Like owning a car or a motorcycle, privately owned e-scooters require maintenance, occasional repair, and care. Batteries must also be charged properly to reduce the risk of fire or damage. The challenge with privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes are finding places where they can be maintained or repaired, ensuring that people charge them properly, and preventing people from illegally modifying them. 

It is illegal to modify the electric motor of a pedal assist bicycle to make it more powerful or to increase its assisted speed. 

Shared e-scooters and e-bikes are those that are be rented from a company for a fee. Companies operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes can mitigate numerous risks by:

• Limiting the speed in designated areas to speeds comparable to walking or biking (such as limiting the speed to 10-15km/h on the Waterfront Trail).
• Changing the battery and maintaining/repairing the shared e-scooters on a regular basis.
• Requiring proof of parking in designated areas and charging users if they have not parked in these areas.
• Sending company staff to retrieve abandoned scooters to prevent litter or obstacles.
• Including bells and lights. Helmets can also be provided if required by the municipality.

The Town is aware that there may be different perspectives specific to certain wards. 

Further, it is possible that there are people who work in Ajax but live outside Ajax who may use an e-bike or e-scooter to get to work. Research has shown that e-bikes have been used to travel further distances than conventional bikes and that many people who typically may not consider biking may consider e-bikes to travel longer distances. 

There is also a possibility that there may be interest in operating a shared e-scooter or shared e-bike program in one ward but not another ward. These considerations based on the ward will inform the recommendations on where e-scooters and e-bikes can be operated. 

The Town has a responsibility to the public interest which involves considering the many different benefits and risks, some of which may be more specific to people coming from certain identity groups. It is important to understand how less quantifiable and/or discussed factors such as race, gender, and disability affect our experiences with getting around Ajax. While there is typically a hesitation to openly discuss challenges related to discrimination based on race, gender, and disability, it is important to examine these factors to acknowledge the diverse experiences of residents and create conditions for addressing a variety of barriers. 

Examples of how race, gender, and disability may affect concerns about e-scooters or e-bikes:                                                                                                                                       

• People who are blind may have concerns regarding the difficulty to detect if someone using an e-scooter or e-bike is going past them. 
• With concerns about anti-Black racism, there may be Black residents who are concerned about the possibility that certain residents may be more likely to report people using e-bikes or e-scooters who are Black even if they are following the rules. 
• There may be people who prefer to use an e-bike as their mode of transportation due to chronic fatigue or another disability that prevents them from using a conventional bicycle. 
• There may be women, including trans women, who prefer having the option of using an e-bike or e-scooter to get home if they live further away from transit and arrive late at night. 

Questions about race, gender, and disability help determine if the results reflect the diversity of Ajax. They also help provide context on the perspectives represented.