Will e-scooters be back in Mississauga next year? City will soon review program

Mississauga’s e-scooter/e-bike rental program, which has encountered some difficulties getting off the ground, will soon be under review once again as it completes its second season in the city.

The City of Mississauga initiative has over the past two years made some 900 electric scooters and 300 electric bikes available for people to rent and use at various places including parks, the downtown core and other neighbourhoods throughout the city.

The e-scooters, which are rented out spring through fall (until winter weather hits), have been the focus of concern for Mississauga city councillors and many residents since summer 2024 — particularly when it comes to properly parking the devices instead of leaving them strewn about the city, particularly in waterfront areas, as was the case last year.

The matter was especially concerning to Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who following year one of the program last fall suggested scrapping the program altogether.

However, senior city staff and the city’s outside partners in the initiative brainstormed to find solutions as the program entered year two this past spring.

The e-bikes, meanwhile, have not posed any significant issues to date. They’re available for rent year-round.

Responding to a councillor who asked on Wednesday if the second summer of the e-scooter/e-bike program has shown significant improvement over 2024, Mississauga’s transportation and works commissioner Sam Rogers said a report will be brought to council later this year.

“The (e-scooter/e-bike) season hasn’t closed completely and then we want to compile the data, conduct the analysis and then report back with recommendations on the future of the program,” he said at Wednesday’s general committee meeting at city hall.

At the outset of the 2025 season this past spring, Rogers said city staff had heard public feedback related to the major problems associated with year one of the program and were looking to improve things in year two.

“We’re continuing to adjust the program to improve it and make it run more smoothly. Installing new parking stations in dense areas will help address some of the concerns from last year,” Rogers said in a news release from the city at the time. “We’ll be able to keep the devices more organized while freeing up bike racks for personal devices. We’re also planning to offer more education to our residents and riders about safety, rules and parking. We’re committed to ensuring the program meets the needs of our residents and our users.”

Since its launch in summer 2024, the city’s new shared micromobility program has hit a few speed bumps.

Earlier this year, officials at the city and Lime, the world’s largest shared electric vehicle company and one of the City of Mississauga’s partners in the initiative, said they had committed to improving the initiative in 2025 and beyond.

Bird Canada is the city’s other partner in the endeavour.

After a delay of several weeks, Mississauga launched the second season of its e-scooter and e-bike rental program on May 16. Season two came with the addition of more than 100 new parking stations to help provide “a more orderly and controlled approach to parking,” city officials said at the time.

The extra parking locations were also expected to “help keep regular public bike racks available for personal devices” as the city looked to eliminate several major problems associated with year one of the program in 2024.

(Cover photo: City of Mississauga)