The biggest threat to Waterloo's e-scooter program isn't mechanical failure or a lack of demand -- it's how people are riding them. The Waterloo region recently renewed and expanded its participation in Ontario's e-scooter pilot program as of July 2025, after a successful five years of improvements to congestion and access to transport. However, the conversation around these vehicles has shifted from their utility to whether or not they're being used responsibly. Sidewalk riding, careless parking, and even collisions are interrupting public spaces.
In the last five years, Neuron Mobility's bright orange scooters have become a staple of the city landscape. In 2024 alone, over 173,000 rides were taken, amounting to 288,000 kilometers travelled. This resulted in reducing an estimated 9.9 tons of carbon dioxide emissions that year and 22 tons since 2023.
Those numbers may speak to the program's environmental and mobility benefits, but they don't tell the whole story.
As laid out on Neuron's website, the rules surrounding e-scooter etiquette are fairly clear and seemingly easy to follow; don't ride on sidewalks or against the flow of traffic, yield to pedestrians, park responsibly, and riders must not be under the influence of anything that may impair their ability to operate the scooter. When observing the practical reinforcement of these rules, however, many riders either aren't aware of them, or simply do not care.
These rules are not just in place for the sake of riders -- but for pedestrians and surrounding vehicles as well. A Waterloo resident and former road bike racer spoke at a Sustainability, Infrastructure and Development Committee meeting this summer to voice his concerns. These concerns included users riding along sidewalks and flying by pedestrians with headphones in (also listed as a "DO NOT" under Neuron's rules page). The resident even details an event where he was actually struck by a Neuron Scooter.
Upon hearing this account, Regional Councilor Doug Craig shared the sentiment, even backing it up with his own story of these vehicles maneuvering around sidewalks at speeds over 30km/h, furthering the view that this is a persistent issue that needs to be solved.
Additionally, the Waterloo Regional Police Service has responded to multiple collisions regarding these devices, as well as other adjacent modes of transport such as e-bikes.
Last summer, an e-scooter collided with a car in Kitchener, which ended up requiring police intervention and paramedics.
Another incident occurred this summer as well, as an investigation was reported to be underway regarding a collision between two e-bikes, one of which was riding in the wrong direction. While these e-bikes were unaffiliated with Waterloo's pilot program, the likelihood of both the collision and damages would have remained the same.
Parking has also become an issue. While Neuron's app has a GPS that shows parking spots for their scooters, these parking stations don't have stands to house the scooters in an orderly fashion. As a result, the stations to park e-scooters turn into scooter pileups that block sidewalks and bike lanes.
To the average able-bodied student, this may seem like just an eyesore, but for someone with visibility or mobility challenges, or parents pushing strollers, a carelessly parked scooter can pose a hazard. This has been a topic of concern among many community members and students walking past the pileups.
It's clear that some riders of Neuron's e-scooters simply treat these vehicles as toys. Without visible reminders of tangible consequences for reckless driving, these riders will continue to view these rules as optional. While Neuron's app offers safety tips, they're easy to walk past and overlook. What's missing is community awareness: these scooters are not, in fact, toys, but can pose very real threats to the community, as real as the time saved from using them.
If Waterloo wants its e-scooter program to thrive, it needs to act before frustration outweighs appreciation of their utility. The dilemma is as clear as day: invest in safety measures now, or risk losing the support of a program that offers a much more sustainable, connected city.
The July 2025 expansion means the continuation of a program that clears up traffic and offers an efficient way of moving around. But with more scooters and riders comes a greater propensity for safety issues. The environmental benefits are real, the convenience undeniable, but without a culture of respect and responsibility, these risks could undermine the positives that these scooters offer.