Cyclists flag concerns about crowded bike lanes as popularity of electric micromobility vehicles grows

A growing number of people are rolling around the city on electric micromobility vehicles, which include e-bikes, e-scooters and e-unicycles.

But some cyclists are raising concerns about the lack of space on bike lanes as these new forms of transportation become popular.

“What we’re seeing is that the existing cycling infrastructure is bursting at the seams,” said Simon Fraser University sociology and anthropology professor Travers.

They said the city needs to expand the space to accommodate more cyclists and users of these e-devices.

“If we have more protected bike lanes, you’ll just see more and more uptake,” they said.

“And this has the potential to resolve issues around traffic congestion, it will reduce our carbon emissions and it’s a form of active transport,” they continued.

In an emailed statement to CTV News, the City of Vancouver acknowledged that more people are using micromobility devices and that e-bikes average to about 14.5 per cent of total bike volumes.

“We are seeing more people taking them up because not everyone is able or willing to ride a bike and power that bike entirely by themselves,” explained Travers.

They say there needs to be more regulations put in place over time, such as speed limits, to ensure everyone's safety.

Currently, only select cities in the province allow for the use of these devices, including Vancouver.

In April, the B.C. Minister of Transportation proposed to include electric transport devices under the new Motor Vehicle Act.

The City of Vancouver said it's working with University of British Columbia researchers to better understand how e-scooters interact with other road users, but added the region is generally accepting of them.