This week while walking on the Vedder River Rotary Trail early one evening, I could see a large, adult male, coming towards me on an e-scooter at a fairly high rate of speed.
He was travelling fast enough to kick up a cloud of dust behind him. As he got closer, I could see that he was travelling at a speed considerably higher than any bicycle I have seen travel on this trail. It had all the appearances of the rider trying to see how fast this e-scooter could go.
As usual, there were a considerable number of walkers on the trail. The walkers who faced his approach, quickly got to the side of the trail to let him ride by. Those walkers that had their backs to him, were startled and jumped aside as he went flying by them. The rider simply weaved in and out of the foot traffic on the trail, not once slowing down, as he disappeared from sight.
Is the city prepared to put any kind of speed limit on the Rotary Trail, or any walking trail for these e-scooters, which can obviously reach a high rate of speed? As speed limits are probably impractical and impossible to police, would banning e-scooters from local walking trails be a solution?
I see motorized vehicles are banned from the trail. Could these e-scooters also be classified as motorized vehicles?
If something isn’t done soon to prevent this kind of reckless and dangerous behavior on walking trails, I can envision serious injury or worse, occurring.
It’s just a matter of time.
Ken Goertzen
• Send your letter to the editor via email to editor@theprogress.com. Please include your first and last name, address, and phone number.
• READ MORE: Chilliwack Progress Letters