As of May 15th, Bird’s fleet of e-scooters and e-bikes have landed on the streets of Halifax, part of a two-year micromobility pilot project put on by the city. In this opinion piece, Tom Worthington decided to take them on a test ride, and give his impressions.

We produced this video for the 2024 election but the message doesn’t age: Halifax is a biking city. We wanted an upbeat message for general consumption, so we highlighted the Statscan report that Halifax is second only to Victoria in the proportion of commuters who use active transportation. And, we have the fastest growing rate in Canada.

Jen Parker, the organizer of Kidical Mass Halifax, explains the importance of these rides.

I don’t think “all abilities” is the right term. It’s inaccurate and it’s misleading. I know it’s tempting to come up with fun alliterative phrases like “all ages and abilities”, but I think accuracy, accountability, and inclusion are even more fun.

In 2017, the HRM approved the “Integrated Mobility Plan” (IMP). In the IMP there is a clear mandate for HRM to implement for inclusive infrastructure and “Design complete streets for all ages, abilities and travel options.”