Good morning from the border — where Canada meets America and neither one blinks. This is Windsor.
## Your e-scooters might be staying, *mon ami*
So you know those electric scooters and bikes that are always whizzing by on the waterfront, or maybe giving you a minor heart attack when they shoot out from a side street on Ouellette? Yeah, those. Well, Bird Canada, the company behind them, is really pushing to keep them around in Windsor. They're hopeful the city will let them stick around, which is a big deal if you're one of the folks who actually uses them.
Now, I'm not gonna lie, I've seen some *cosas* with those scooters. People riding two-up, weaving through pedestrians on the Riverfront Trail near the Art Gallery of Windsor, or just leaving them kinda haphazardly on the sidewalk in Via Italia. But, *mija*, I've also seen people using them to zip to work at Caesars Windsor when their shift starts at the casino, or students getting around downtown without needing a car. We're a city where a lot of people cross the border for work, so having easy, quick transport is actually a bigger deal than it seems.
Here's what Bird Canada is saying:
* They've had over 100,000 rides since launching. That's a lot, eh? * They're pushing for more designated parking areas to keep them from cluttering sidewalks. * They want to keep the program going because they see Windsor as a key market.
Look, Windsor is changing. We’re not just about the auto plants anymore — though Stellantis is still running three shifts, so things are good on that front. But we're also trying to be a greener city, more walkable, more connected. If these scooters and e-bikes help people get around Pelissier Street to catch a show, or grab a slice of our famous Windsor pizza without hopping in their car, then maybe they’re part of that renaissance everyone keeps talking about. It’s all about finding that balance, isn’t it?
Marc-Antoine Beaulieu-Vargas, MiTL Sports Desk, Windsor.
Want more border talk? Mon frère, André and the crew get into all this and more every morning — catch it live at mornings.live.