The Region of Queens wants ‘clear, enforceable provisions’ around e-bike and e-scooter use. (Mercea Iancu via Pixabay)

The Region of Queens wants to figure out how to regulate e-scooters and e-bikes in the municipality.

And that could include allowing them on sidewalks.

District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said that at the Nov. 13 police advisory board meeting, Queens District RCMP Const. Andrew Winsor reviewed the Motor Vehicle Act provisions around e-scooters.

“We discussed the uses of these devices on all roads, but the most challenged road was Bristol Avenue,” Amirault told her fellow councillors at Tuesday’s regular council meeting.

“
The board discussed sidewalk versus roadway use for the e-scooters. Due to the narrow lanes and heavy traffic in this area, it was suggested sidewalk use for limited areas, such as these supported by signage, with expectations for reductions in speed.” 

Residents told councillors at their recent town hall sessions that it’s become too dangerous as a pedestrian in some areas, with the rise in popularity of the devices.

They reported people riding e-scooters and e-bikes at high speeds and not paying attention to what they were doing.

Councillors asked staff to develop “clear, enforceable provisions regulating e-bikes and e-scooters as recommended by the police advisory board”.

They also want staff to come up with amendments to a bylaw that restricts skateboard use in downtown Liverpool.

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton said the 1998 bylaw prohibiting skateboards at Fort Point, on Main Street, park of Market Street and near the Visitor Information Centre is too restrictive.

“The police advisory board wanted to remedy that since we have a lovely skate park and we’re promoting activity and further engagement with our youth. So that doesn’t jibe with the council of the day.”

She said Winsor told councillors that they can’t do anything about reckless e-scooter and e-bike use without a municipal bylaw.

“Where the municipality doesn’t have bylaws with e-bikes and e-scooters, he can’t do any ticketing. So once we have a bylaw in place that covers that, if someone is going excessive speed on Bristol, he actually would be able to ticket them.”

The Motor Vehicle Act does extensively regulate the use of e-scooters. It explicitly says they should be treated like bicycles, and are not allowed on sidewalks.

Users of bicycles, e-scooters, skateboards and other similar devices are also supposed to wear helmets.

“Where a roadway has a bicycle lane for bicycles travelling in the same direction that a cyclist is travelling, the operator of an electric kick-scooter shall ride in the bicycle lane unless it is impracticable to do so,” the act says. 

“An operator of an electric kick-scooter who is not riding in a bicycle lane shall ride as far to the right side of the roadway as practicable or on the right-hand shoulder of the roadway.”

The Nova Scotia government recently passed a new Traffic Safety Act, which is due to replace the Motor Vehicle Act. It has not been proclaimed yet, so the current Motor Vehicle Act stands.

Under the new act, however, much of the responsibility for regulating the use of bicycles, e-scooters and e-bikes would fall to municipalities.

Mayor Scott Christian said he’s unsure why provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act aren’t being enforced. But he said he hopes the staff report will help clarify who’s responsible.

“It seems to me that some other municipalities will have already tackled this one. So I’ll be interested to see what approaches to regulating the appropriate and safe use of those devices within a town context where there is sidewalk infrastructure in place.”

Councillors also asked staff to investigate traffic calming measures in the town of Liverpool to respond to residents’ concerns about speeding by motor vehicles.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian speaks to residents before a town hall meeting at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Thursday. (Rick Conrad)

Community safety and downtown development dominated the first of seven town hall meetings held by Queens County councillors.

About 30 people attended the two-hour session at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Thursday evening to hear about council’s plans for the municipality and to ask some questions of their own.

Safety for people of all ages was a big concern.

Some residents said their grandchildren stay away from the Mersey Skatepark at Queens Place Emera Centre because of violence and bullying there. 

Others said they were worried about reckless riding of e-scooters and other vehicles on sidewalks.

And the owner of the Subway restaurant said she and her staff are dealing with problems from some students at the neighbouring Queens Adult High School.

Kim Moulton told councillors that her staff regularly witness drug use in front of the restaurant. She said they’ve called the RCMP, who take the students away but then bring them back. 

“Most times it’s pretty good. And then sometimes, when the new school year starts it starts over again and then we have to put our foot down,” she said in an interview.

“It’s not a very nice sight to sit and eat your lunch when you have a group of people hanging around loitering, smoking, cursing and swearing, spitting. It’s very unsightly.”

Other people told councillors they’re concerned about the lack of enforcement of e-scooters on sidewalks.

Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act clearly defines limits on e-scooter use, similar to bicycles. But Mayor Scott Christian said that Queens District RCMP have told the municipality that they can’t do anything about people riding them on sidewalks or recklessly on the road.

“Some of the stuff that was raised here, it’s not safe for pedestrians and it’s intimidating for some pedestrians when they have users on electric vehicles bearing down on them,” Christian said after the meeting.

“We see a lot of youth, a lot of young kids, riding these scooters. They’re going quite quick. A lot of them aren’t wearing helmets. Something I’ve raised to the (RCMP) staff sergeant and they’ve identified as something that they need to do some public education around. When we raise it to them they say the municipality has to do their part and get effective bylaws in place as well.”

According to the Motor Vehicle Act, which the RCMP usually enforce, riders of e-scooters or electric kick scooters are supposed to wear helmets at all times, just like users of bicycles and skateboards. They also must ride on the road or in designated bike lanes.

Municipalities can make their own bylaws governing their use, in addition to what’s in provincial legislation.

Region of Queens councillors held the first of seven town hall meetings Thursday evening. (Rick Conrad)

People also raised concerns about the state of downtown Liverpool.

Sylvia Hurley said much of Main Street looks rundown.

“It needs to be revamped,” she said in an interview after the meeting.

“It needs upgrading, those buildings. I mean, you go downtown and look at the old Stedman building. Just look at it. It’s not attractive. It’s not attractive. The old Scotiabank, not attractive. You know, it’s just not welcoming anymore.

“I was born and brought up here and I remember when on Friday or Saturday night you came into town, and there was no place to stand on the sidewalk and talk because there would be other people standing and talking, and you don’t get that anymore.”

Christian and Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton pointed to council’s recent decision to amend the land use bylaw to allow more residential development downtown, specifically at the old Stedman’s site at 194 Main St.

“Coming up with a winning strategy where we can get more vibrancy in the downtown core, that’s a big priority,” Christian said.

For the first part of the meeting, Christian took people through council’s vision for the municipality and the priorities they plan to work on in four areas – governance, economic development, community wellness and environment and infrastructure.

People were asked to choose one part of each of those areas that was most important to them. They could also write suggestions on Post-It notes. The Top 3 concerns appeared to be transparency and accountability, coming up with an economic development plan, and repairing and replacing aging infrastructure. 

Residents said afterward they appreciated the chance to air some of their concerns, though they said they wanted more time to ask questions.

Christian encouraged people to come out to one of the remaining six sessions, to be held over the next week and a half at locations around Queens County.

“I think it’s an opportunity to hear about the direction we’re trying to take the municipality in Queen’s County and then an opportunity to bring your questions forward.

“You want to come out to speak to the issue or ask your question directly to your elected officials, this is your opportunity to do it.”

The town hall meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Here are the dates and locations of upcoming sessions:

• Fri., Oct. 17 – Milton Memorial Hall
• Mon., Oct. 20 – Mersey Point Hall
• Tues., Oct. 21 – West Queens Recreation Centre
• Thurs., Oct. 23 – Greenfield Fire Hall
• Fri., Oct. 24 – Port Medway Fire Hall
• Mon., Oct. 27 – North Queens Fire Hall

More information about the sessions is on the Region of Queens website. Residents can also fill out a survey here.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of story below