With electric scooters rolling around many Canadian communities, Ward 5 councillor Jeff Knoll thinks it’s time to consider bringing them to Oakville.
In a video posted to his Twitter account this week, Knoll said he will ask town staff to look into a scooter rental program.
The video was posted from Ottawa, where Knoll and other local politicians were taking part in the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
Sporting a white bike helmet – a giveaway from rental scooter program Neuron Mobility – Knoll said he likes the idea of the program, which lets riders borrow a vehicle to scoot around town and then leave it at the side of the road when they are finished.
“It doesn’t cost taxpayers anything, and it’s a pretty neat program,” he said. “Brings some tourism into town, provides a fun way to get around town and also provides another environmentally sensitive transportation alternative.”
👋Hey everyone! Just checking in from the Association of Municipalities Ontario Conference in Ottawa.
— Jeff Knoll (@CouncillorKnoll) August 16, 2022
There have been a few things that caught my eye while I've been here. Let me know what you think about these topics in the comments below. #Oakville #Ontario #amo2022 pic.twitter.com/yjCxzNN6jw
E-scooter rental programs operate in several communities across Canada, including Ottawa, Windsor, Edmonton and Calgary.
But they haven’t been without controversy, with some communities expressing concerns over sidewalk riding and blocked sidewalks from improperly parked scooters.
The scooter companies point out that micro-mobility solutions provide an alternative to car trips and have a positive social, economic and environmental impact on the cities where they operate.
The AMO conference ran for three days this week and saw local politicians from the province gather to network, participate in workshops and communicate with provincial politicians.
Other notes from the AMO conference:
- Ward 7 councillor Jasvinder Sandhu moderated a women’s networking panel looking at ways to reduce barriers that discourage women and racialized community members from seeking office.
- Halton regional councillor Colin Best was acclaimed as president of AMO’s board of directors. The Milton councillor will head up AMO – an advocacy and education organization for Ontario’s 444 municipalities.
- Mayor Rob Burton says he and Halton region colleagues met Ontario’s health minister to discuss the province’s “pending decision” to expand the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
