John Woodhouse, co-chair of Walk Ottawa, outside city hall.
A recently released report from the City of Ottawa’s transportation committee confirms what many say was resolved years ago: motorized scooter wheelchair users are pedestrians who must use the sidewalk.
Scooter wheelchairs are typically three or four-wheeled motorized vehicles that are steered by handlebars for those with mobility issues. Smaller, lighter scooters weigh 60 to 75 pounds and can travel short distances. Standard scooters for everyday use typically weigh 250 to 450 pounds and can travel at speeds up to 15 km/h.
Motorized power wheelchairs fall into a different mobility category. They are customized electric wheelchairs for those with more severe mobility issues and can be controlled by two fingers. They can travel between 5.5 km/h and 7.5 km/h.
The report is a response to a September inquiry from Rideau-Rockliffe Coun. Peter Clark about the regulations surrounding motorized wheelchairs.
“I asked about the rules and I got the typical response from a couple of people who use the wheelchairs who said the side of the road where they have to drive on has lousy sidewalks,” he says.
Under the city’s traffic and parking bylaw and the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, a wheelchair user, including anyone using a motorized wheelchair, is considered a pedestrian. With the exception of crossing a road or moving along a street where there is no sidewalk available, a pedestrian is required to use the sidewalk.
The report comes as a surprise to those who thought the pedestrian issue was solved years ago.
John Woodhouse, an electric power chair user and co-chair of Walk Ottawa, says he’s always travelled on sidewalks but thinks the issue was brought up to address those who may not follow similar etiquette.
“I see all these other people, who I can only refer to as idiots, whipping around on their own way down the street. And I wonder, ‘should I be on my own way too, or should I be on the sidewalk?’ ”
Woodhouse says poor sidewalk conditions are a problem that sometimes forces him to travel on the street. According to the report, road construction this year has led to a 15-per cent increase from last year in service requests for sidewalk maintenance. These calls were mostly due to missing sidewalk panels, dust, and potholes.
“I have to take the roadway sometimes because the corners of the sidewalks are not cleared enough for me to get through,” he says. “I usually get halfway through and then bam, I’m stuck. I have to keep spinning my wheels and look for someone to get me out.”
Last year, Capital Ward Coun. David Chernushenko filed a similar inquiry about regulations for in-line skating and long boards.
“You’ve got bicycles, electrically-assisted bicycles, and scooters that are vying for space on the road,” he says.
“It’s really quite a challenge right now from a policy and safety perspective because there are probably about 20 different categories of ways that people can get around. Each has their own set of particularities that need a set of rules.”
Chernushenko says ultimately the city could not give him a clear answer because skateboards are not considered as “vehicles” since they don’t have brakes or headlights. He says wheelchair scooters are in the same predicament.
Other policies about motorized wheelchairs around the city have maintained these users are pedestrians. The National Capital Commission implemented its policy for scooters on pathways two years ago.
Jean Charbonneau, land manager at the NCC, says while there are some prohibitions on electronic scooters, any vehicle that permits assistance for those with mobility issues are permitted on NCC pathways.
“Scooters have always and will always be permitted,” he says.