A series of E-bikes and E-scooters strewn about on the ground obstructing walkways.
Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round, for I have a tale to tell. It's a tale of two-wheelers, those silent, sneaky, sidewalk-hogging e-bikes and e-scooters. They're the new-(ish) kids on the block, zipping around our cities, promising a greener future, and making pedestrians jump out of their skins. But, oh boy, they're not just giving pedestrians a good scare, they're turning our sidewalks into obstacle courses for the disabled community.
Now, let's take a trip to Seattle University, where e-bikes and scooters have exploded onto the campus scenery like a bad rash. The Spectator at Seattle University’s Natalie Kenoyer reported last fall that these contraptions from companies like Lime and Bird are strewn across campus like some kind of modern art installation, blocking ramps and walkways. It's like a bad game of Tetris where the blocks are e-bikes and e-scooters, and the players are disabled individuals just trying to get from point A to point B.
The problem isn’t limited to college campuses, either. Canine Companions® Pico and I encounter them almost daily in Washington, D.C. and when we travel across the country.
And it's not just a problem here in the U.S. Across the pond in the UK, a new report by think tank Policy Exchange tells a similar tale. Disabled parliamentarians are calling out the councils and the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom for their "passivity." It's like they're saying, "Hey, we didn't sign up for this level of Extreme Sidewalk Survivor!"
So, what's the solution? Well, Policy Exchange suggests fining users who leave their e-bikes or e-scooters obstructing the pavement. I mean, if you can't park it, don't ride it, right? In Seattle ride-sharing companies work in collaboration with the city to establish e-bike and scooter use regulation zones as a condition of their operation. However, as with all regulation, it's only as good as its enforcement.
Let's reclaim our sidewalks from these two-wheeled terrors. Let's make our cities accessible for all, because everyone deserves the right to navigate their city without feeling like they're on an episode of Wipeout.
Remember, sidewalks are for walking, not for your discarded e-bike. Let's make our cities accessible again and ensure that no one feels like a second-class citizen in their own city. And for the love of all that is good, learn to park your e-bike.
Dumped e-bikes ‘dangerous’ for the disabled, think tank report finds