City reviewing e-scooter and power bike rules as high-speed devices spark safety concerns
After an e-motorcycle incident in a playground zone, Calgary is examining bylaws to address private micromobility devices that exceed speed limits on pathways.
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Calgary is reviewing its bylaws and enforcement approach for privately owned e-scooters and power bikes, following growing concern around their use in parks and on public pathways.
The review was prompted partly by an incident in Evanston-Creekside where an "e-motorcycle" was driven through a playground zone with children present. Ward 2 Councillor Jennifer Wyness flagged the problem: many parents are purchasing high-powered e-bikes and e-dirt bikes for youth, sometimes unaware that models over 500 watts are classified as mopeds and require insurance, cannot be driven in parks, and are illegal on sidewalks and the pathway network.
Over the past two years, the city has received 86 service requests related to e-scooters, mostly for speeding or reckless driving. Calgary's pathway system has a 20 km/h speed limit, but privately owned power-assisted bikes can travel up to 32 km/h — or faster if unlicensed.
City Community Standards acknowledged enforcement challenges: "While there are regulations on speed limits and rider behaviour in the Parks & Pathways Bylaw, The Traffic Bylaw, and The Traffic Safety Act, the ability to patrol all park spaces, roadways, and sidewalks to catch offenders breaking these rules presents real enforcement challenges." The city says it is prioritizing a review to improve how micromobility is managed.
