More electric vehicle options coming
Electric Bixi bikes will soon be deployed, costing a little more than a regular Bixi but not as much as a Jump. It seems the e-bikes they had last year were only a pilot project.
Also, another brand of electric scooter is on its way here. Soon, nobody will have to go anywhere in town by means of the antiquated method called walking.
Bill Binns 13:31 on 2019-08-16 Permalink
It may become impossible to walk if you want to.
Ephraim 13:34 on 2019-08-16 Permalink
Yeah, not falling off of one of the scooters…. had enough time with a cane, thanks.
Chris 18:16 on 2019-08-16 Permalink
Bill, are you just being hyperbolic, or…? Maybe you fear scooters taking over sidewalks? I don’t think that’s likely. It could have happened with cyclists, but hasn’t. Sure, there are cyclists that sometimes take the sidewalk, but what fraction of sidewalk users would you say they represent? 1%? 10%? It will be the same with scooters. A few on sidewalks, but not many. The City could further make this unlikely by reallocating road space away from cars, and towards other users. i.e.: take away road lanes and make them for scooters.
Ian 22:03 on 2019-08-16 Permalink
Scooters on sidewalks are pretty easy to accidentally kick over. Just like accidentally standing in front of bikes until they are forced to dismount.
@Chris Yes yes, horrible cars blah blah… here’s an idea, let’s make everyone who\s not a pedestrian get off the damn sidewalk. You go on about car culture, but let’s observe the self-involved narcissism at play with anyone but pedestrians on sidewalks and call it for what it is instead of pulling irrelevant hypotheticals out of your ear.
Chris 09:25 on 2019-08-17 Permalink
Ian, yikes, why the grump? “accidentally kick over” another human being eh? How nice of you. That’s assault, and a criminal offence.
Where did I advocate that scooters should be on sidewalks? Nowhere of course. Non-pedestians should not be on sidewalks. (With rare exceptions, as acknowledged in the Highway Code, section 492.1).
What ‘irrelevant hypotheticals’? I’m (still) honestly asking Bill why he thinks ebikes and scooters will make it “impossible to walk if you want to”. I can’t think of any other reason other than worry that sidewalks will be taken over.
Ian 19:07 on 2019-08-17 Permalink
I’m sure it would be ticketed just as vigorously as idiots riding on the sidewalk.
You bring up how the city could prevent people from riding on sidewalks by taking away road space from cars. That is irrelevant. We already have laws in place that are not being consistently enforced or people wouldn’t be riding on sidewalks… why are you falling over yourself to create opportunities for people not to break the law by punishing others? This is one great example of why I call bullsh*t on your claim that you do not have an inherent bias against cars, despite your insistence that you are only opposed to “car culture”.
Chris 22:01 on 2019-08-17 Permalink
It’s not irrelevant: the topic is scooters. The idea of reallocating space for scooters is relevant to a discussion about scooters. Maybe you don’t favour it, but that doesn’t make it off-topic or irrelevant.
There are laws in place against motorists speeding too, but they are of course not fully obeyed. As such, physical modifications are made to increase compliance, ex: road narrowing, speed bumps, posts, more tightly-painted lanes, etc. Likewise physical changes to space allocation could decrease the need for cyclists/scooters to feel they need to be on the sidewalk to be safe. When roads are wide, motorists will speed; when streets are deadly, cyclists will take the sidewalk. Laws alone won’t fix that.
I’m not sure why you can’t just politely disagree, instead of the “blah blah” and “calling bullshit” condescension. 🙁