Paid e-scooter study looks at ‘community benefits’ of programs in Mississauga, Brampton and Ajax

E-scooter users can get a $25 gift card and help track the benefits of micro-mobility programs in Mississauga, Brampton and Ajax through a new study from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Rentable electric scooters are currently available through pilot projects in the three Ontario cities and TMU is looking for riders to give feedback on “the community benefits of the electric powered shared micro-mobility services.”

The university needs 10 participants from each municipality to share their experiences using e-scooters and e-bikes “and your perceptions toward these new public transportation services.”

The study will also look at “barriers to use” and wants to hear from residents who haven’t yet used micro-mobility services but are considering signing up.

Application is open to anyone aged 16 years or older in Mississauga, Brampton and Ajax and participants will receive a $25 gift card to either Amazon, Indigo, or Walmart.

E-scooter users can get a $25 gift card and help track the benefits of micro-mobility programs in Mississauga, Brampton and Ajax through a new study from Toronto Metropolitan University.

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Rentable electric scooters are currently available through pilot projects in the three Ontario cities and TMU is looking for riders to give feedback on “the community benefits of the electric powered shared micro-mobility services.”

The university needs 10 participants from each municipality to share their experiences using e-scooters and e-bikes “and your perceptions toward these new public transportation services.”

The study will also look at “barriers to use” and wants to hear from residents who haven’t yet used micro-mobility services but are considering signing up.

Application is open to anyone aged 16 years or older in Mississauga, Brampton and Ajax and participants will receive a $25 gift card to either Amazon, Indigo, or Walmart.

Selected participants will each take part in a one-hour interview conducted virtually over Zoom.

The information provided will remain confidential and will only be seen by the TMU research team for this study, the university says.

“Your personal information will be deleted from our records upon completion of the interview and will only be used for contacting you for the interview and sending your compensation,” TMU says of the study.

Brampton was the first Ontario municipality to launch an e-scooter program with a two-year pilot project launched in April 2023. Some 110,000 riders travelled over 415,000 kilometres with over 200,000 trips taken in the first year.

A report also found that seven out of every 10 Neuron e-scooter trips result in a purchase with a local business with an average purchase of $27 per trip.

In Mississauga, the city made some 300 electric pedal-assist bicycles and 900 e-scooters available in June with restrictions leading to frustration for some users.

Ajax launched its pilot project in 2023 following a similar launch in Oshawa that saw riders put 100,000 kilometres on the scooters.

Anyone interested in taking part in the TMU micro-mobility study can fill out an application here.