Hundreds of new e-bike, e-scooter rentals coming to Waterloo region

Waterloo region residents will soon have some more options for getting around.

A partnership between the region and Neuron Mobility will see 500 e-bikes and 500 e-scooters come to local streets as part of a rental system.

“There’s no emissions being used. It’s also a viable mode of transportation for travelling short distances. Our mission is to help people travel in a safe convenient and fun way,” said Isaac Ransom, with Neuron Mobility.

The first batch will be at virtual stations in downtown Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and near transit stations.

“You’ll see them in the urban environment in the downtown areas, you’ll see them in residential areas,” Ransom said.

The plan is to gradually ramp up the offering to 150 locations.

“People will discover the convenience of these free floating e-scooters and e-bikes and how easy they are to learn,” said the Commissioner of Transportation Services with the Region of Waterloo, Mathieu Goetzke.

Each bike and scooter will come with a number of safety features, like helmets, voice navigation and the ability to call 911.

“The e-scooter will talk to you and tell you that you’ve gone onto a sidewalk or an area you shouldn’t be. The engine will slowly turn off and you’ll come to a slow stop,” said Goetzke.

Neuron mobility has already rolled out e-scooters and bikes in Brampton and Ottawa, as well as five cities across B.C. and Alberta.

Here in Waterloo region, Neuron mobility expects the launch to bring upwards of 80 jobs to the area - all of which will be recruited locally.

The company also believes the move will bring more money to local businesses with travel becoming more accessible to more people.

The City of Kitchener says the rollout will begin on April 14 with the first available models parked downtown near public transit stations.

POLICE SAY BE CAUTIOUS

Waterloo regional police are warning riders to be cautious and treat both e-bike and e-scooters the same way they would a vehicle.

“Driving behaviours that are identified, disobeying red lights, not stopping at stop signs are all subject to traffic act enforcement. If there is an impaired driver or any sort of incident where there is a collision, they are part of the investigation,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths with the Waterloo Regional Police Service.