If you work, study or shop in Coquitlam’s City Centre, there will soon be an easier way to get around — other than your car.
On Monday (June 5), council-in-committee awarded contracts to Lime Technology and Neuron Mobility to supply 130 e-Bikes and 450 e-Scooters for the city’s new e-Mobility pilot program.
The two companies will design, implement, own, operate, maintain and manage the new dockless electric bike and electric kick scooter sharing system for the duration of the pilot: 18 months.
And, at the same time, city staff will collect data about the use, demand and public safety of the electric vehicles.
The inaugural zone of City Centre will include north of Coquitlam Centre mall, as well as the Lincoln and Lafarge Lake–Douglas stations, Coquitlam Public Library, city hall, Town Centre Park and Douglas College.
According to a report from Jaime Boan, Coquitlam’s general manager of engineering and public works, the e-Bikes and e-Scooters can be picked up at parking stations in designated areas within the city’s right-of-way such as plazas at intersections and curbside spots.
All trips in the City Centre zone must start and end at parking stations that will be spaced about 200 m apart; outside the zone, riders can start and end their trips based on the dockless model.
Each vehicle will come with a helmet and helmet lock; as well, the app for renting an e-Bike or e-Scooter will have a tutorial.
Here’s the price breakdown per company:
- Lime: $1.15 unlocking fee then 35 cents per minute
- Neuron: $1.19 unlocking fee then 39 cents per minute
Daily and monthly passes are also available.
People without smartphones can text a phone number to unlock the vehicles and residents without a credit card can use PayPal or with a prepaid gift card (Lime also accepts Uber gift cards).
It’s hoped the e-Bikes and e-Scooters will launch in City Centre later this month or in early July.
The pilot program, which ends in December 2024, will be self-funded through the contract fees, Boan wrote. Last year, the city also set aside $300,000 from the city’s Carbon Offsets Reserve for the e-Mobility program.
Visit coquitlam.ca/escooter for more details.
Meanwhile, Lil Bear Contracting Corp. Construction started this week on the Guildford Way Greenway Micromobility Project that will extend along Guildford Way from Pinetree Way to the Port Moody border.
THE RULES
Riders must be:
- at least 16 years old
- have a bell and lights
- wear a helmet
- ride alone
- limit speed to 24 km/h
Riders can ride:
- on multi-use pathways
- in designated bike lanes
- where cycling is allowed
