The municipality is improving transportation options in and around the urban centre with the approval of a service provider for shared micromobility (e-scooters and e-bikes).
After a rigorous and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) evaluation, the municipality has entered a two-year shared micromobility pilot with Bird Canada.
The shared micromobility pilot is set to launch in May 2025.
About the pilot project
In 2023, Regional Council directed staff to develop a two-year shared micromobility pilot project to license a limited number of business(es) to operate short-term e-scooter and bicycle rental services in the Halifax region. The pilot supports a number of municipal goals including Action 88 of the Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP), and Action 8 of Section 5.2.3 of HalifACT, to decarbonize transportation.
In 2023, Council approved By-law M-300, the Micromobility By-law, which guides the operation of e-scooters and micromobility operation.
Leading up to the two year shared micromobility project, a readiness study was published in 2021, which recommended a way to proceed with a micromobility system, and public feedback was gathered and summarized in a What We Heard Report published in 2020.
What is shared micromobility?
Shared micromobility is an umbrella term for services that provide public access to personal vehicles for transportation purposes. Bike share systems are the most common service. Residents and visitors can use bike share to ride a bike for a short trip (i.e., up to five km). Other vehicle types are becoming common, including electric assist bicycles (e-bikes), and electric scooters (e-scooters).
Finding and unlocking shared e-bikes and e-scooters
Users can download the Bird app, find an available e-scooter or e-bike equipped with a helmet, unlock it, ride safely to their destination and park in a designated zone when their ride is complete. E-scooters and e-bikes are operational within the service area on the map above - this is where users can rent and ride them. The service area may incrementally expand throughout the pilot.
How to contact Bird Canada
- Phone: 1-866-205-2442
- Email: hello@bird.co for refund or payment questions or concerns.
- Bird Canada maintains a 24-hour customer service phone number and email address for members of the public to report concerns or complaints or ask questions about the e-scooters and e-bikes:
- Phone: 1-866-205-2442
- Email: hello@bird.co for refund or payment questions or concerns.
- 311_halifax@birdcanada.co to get in contact with our local Halifax operations team for any general program questions or concerns, including requests to move misparked vehicles.
- Twitter: @BirdRideCanada
- Instagram: @Birdcanada
- Bird Canada will be responsible for parking issues, maintenance and the removal and relocation of shared e-scooters and e-bikes. Please contact Bird Canada in the following scenarios:
- if you see an improperly parked e-bike or e-scooter which is blocking the sidewalk, road, bike lane, etc.
- if you see someone riding an e-scooter improperly (e.g. without a helmet, on the sidewalk, doubling up, intoxicated, or under 16 years of age). Unsafe or intoxicated riding can also always be reported directly to law enforcement.
- if you see abandoned BIRD helmets
- if you would like to report a damaged/vandalized e-scooter or e-bike
if the issue you have reported has not been resolved within one business day, please contact the municipality at 311.
FAQ
- Where are e-scooters permitted to ride?
People riding e-scooters generally have the same rights, rules and responsibilities as people riding bikes but there are more specific restrictions with e-scooters.
By-law M-300, the Micromobility By-law permits e-scooter use in municipality in the following locations:
- roadways having a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour or less
- bicycle lanes on any roadway
- multi-use pathways within streets
The by-law also specifies that no person shall operate an electric kick-scooter:
- at a speed in excess of 25 kilometers per hour on a roadway or bicycle lane
- at a speed in excess of 15 kilometers per hour on a multi-use pathway
- on a sidewalk
E-scooters are not permitted on multi-use pathways in parks unless they are signed as permitted. See here for a list of trails where e-scooters are permitted.
E-scooter and e-bike etiquette:
- ride with care around pedestrians
- ring your bell before passing
- obey traffic signs and signals
- park in a secure, upright position in designated areas. Ensure you are not obstructing sidewalks, travel lanes, doorways, driveways, bike lanes, etc.
Please see more information about e-scooter use in the municipality here.
- Do I need to wear a helmet?
Yes, Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) requires all riders of e-scooters and e-bikes to wear a helmet at all times. Helmets are provided with the shared e-mobility devices or you can bring your own.
- Can I carry a passenger?
Only one rider per e-scooter and e-bike is permitted. Passengers are not allowed. Do not carry, tow, push or pull another person, device or object while using your E-scooter.
- How does pricing work?
Various payment options, including daily passes, memberships, and equitable pricing will be available to make this new service accessible for all users. The municipality is partnering with United Way and Bird Canada on a more equitable micromobility initiative including Flex Fare Zones and a Community Pricing Program to reduce barriers to access so that more people can be introduced to micromobility. Fares are automatically reduced by up to 50 per cent for rides beginning and ending in Flex Fare Zones, no registration required. The Community Pricing Program offers enrolled users a 50 per cent discount on all rides within the service area to those who qualify. For more information on pricing, see the Bird app.
- What are “no ride zones” and “slow ride zones”?
In high pedestrian areas or areas restricted to micromobility devices, specific zones will be applied including "no ride zones," which will bring the devices to a complete stop, and "slow ride zones" which will limit speeds to a maximum of 15 km/h. Information on these zones can be found in the Bird app.
- Do I need a driver’s licence to ride an e-scooter or e-bike?
No, provincial regulations do not require a driver’s licence to ride an e-scooter or e-bike.
- How old do I have to be to ride a shared e-scooter or e-bike?
Shared e-bikes and e-scooters will be available to riders aged 16 and over, however those aged 16 and 17 will require a parent or guardian to sign a waiver on their behalf. Users will be required to confirm their age upon registration.
- Where can I park my e-scooter or e-bike when I’m done my ride?
Bird e-scooters and e-bikes are permitted to be parked on Bird-marked mats and stencils on the street, in bike racks within painted corrals, and in authorized parking areas with posted Bird signage.
You must not:
- park in a way that will block or inhibit other sidewalk users
- block the boarding zones at transit stops, either at the front or the rear
- park outside the stencils/painted micromobility parking lines
- block curb letdowns
- block doors, driveways, ramps, stairs, handrails, or other access points
- Can I bring a Bird Canada e-bike or e-scooter on a bus or ferry?
No, devices are not permitted on Halifax Transit.
For general questions or feedback regarding the pilot, please call 311.
