Micromobility: Sustainable Transport and the Role of Public Policy in Quebec

Presently, over 100 cities worldwide - such as Chicago, Paris, and more recently, Montreal - have acquired electric scooters in the past two years as part of pilot projects organized by private companies. Since August 2019, 680 e-scooters have been placed on the streets of Montreal by operating companies Lime and Bird, with an average of 1,500 rides per day being recorded. While micromobility services play a role within sustainable mobility policy efforts in Quebec, the question of how new vehicles like e-scooters can be integrated into the preexisting infrastructural and social fabric of cities like Montreal has yet to be determined. 

Micromobility is a new concept that refers to smaller transport options that are being made available to commuters, such as vehicles for one or two passengers. Smaller forms of mobility like electric scooters have increasingly been viewed by municipalities as a viable method to decrease car usage.

In the context of Quebec, micromobility services such as e-scooters offer sustainable mobility options; they are dependent on renewable resources that are locally available, and they have the potential to be integrated into the community. Almost 97% of the Quebec’s energy is generated by hydroelectricity using an extensive network of dams, and small vehicles like bikes and scooters can fit into the existing transport infrastructure easily because they are easy to use and can be safely operated by most commuters. Especially in urban areas like Montreal where bikes are widely used, infrastructure that accommodates small-vehicle users (such as bike lanes or wider road lanes) often already exists.

 Although the introduction of e-scooters in Montreal may come as a surprise to many, in April 2018, Quebec’s Sustainable Mobility Policy was unveiled by the government. The policy aims to support the development of transit systems that are low-carbon, safe, and meet the needs of users, citizens and businesses alike. It additionally aspires to integrate multiple transportation services by forming a sustainable balance through innovation, land use organization as well as responsible governance and financing. This policy fosters a particularly welcoming environment for companies who want to conduct pilot projects that introduce new and unique mobility options. 

Pilot projects test the suitability of micromobility services to a city and allow city officials to evaluate potential problems that may need to be resolved. For example, initially city officials  in Montreal made the scooters only available in the neighbourhoods of Ville-Marie, Côtes-de Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension and Westmount. However, there are now plans to make the scooters available in additional boroughs. During the pilot project, public complaints regarding the non-compliance of users to parking rules have been considered a large problem by city officials. Consequently, fines for those who park illegally are planned for implementation in late October. 

For cities considering micromobility services as a transport alternative, a crucial step in urban planning would be for municipalities to gather data on commuter behaviour in relation to micromobility services through pilot projects. This can help manage and configure pre-existing transport-related infrastructure and regulations to better accommodate priorities such as safety through prescriptive policymaking. For example, during the winter, city officials in Montreal are planning to conduct an evaluation of how commuters used electric scooters and the potential problems that need to be resolved in order for the service to remain in the city. 

Undoubtedly, the increasing popularity and introduction of micromobility services beyond bikes is a new phenomenon that is facilitated by a desire to reduce congestion in cities paired with the availability of cost-effective vehicle-sharing programs. While many cities have chosen to incorporate micromobility services into their urban fabric, others have outright banned the option. This is expected, as the unique structure of each city may make e-scooters convenient and safe to use in one, but not in another. Although there are still many questions regarding how micromobility services can be successfully integrated into urban areas, in the case of Montreal, many of them have been and continue to be answered through pilot projects and the continuous evaluation of related regulations and policies.