The TTC Board voted Tuesday to bar transit users from bringing e-bikes onto TTC vehicles or into stations during the winter months amid fire concerns.
TTC staff have warned winter conditions can increase the risk of lithium-ion batteries catching fire due to temperature fluctuations and contact with road salt.
The e-bike ban will run from Nov. 15 to April 15 of each year.
The push for e-bikes to be banned during the winter months began after an e-bike caught fire inside a Line 1 subway car on Dec. 31, 2023. Three people were taken to the hospital as a result.
Some councillors on the TTC’s board opposed a sweeping ban.
“It is not possible to have no fire risk on the TTC,” city councillor and TTC commissioner Dianne Saxe said. “We have to reduce the risk, and we have to manage it. Somebody might possibly die if there's a fire, and that would be terrible and tragic.”
“But I also want to point out that making it impossible for gig workers to do deliveries downtown — and they now do hundreds and hundreds of deliveries downtown — if they are forced into large motor vehicles, that increases congestion, that increases deaths on roads.”
Coun. Josh Matlow took a similar position, arguing the city can't simply wish e-bikes away.
“I'd rather deal with reality and look at how to mitigate risk, regulate for safety, bring them into our network mobility in a way that's responsible, because they're a fact," he said Tuesday.
Toronto Fire Services determined that a failure of the e-bike’s lithium-ion battery caused last winter's subway fire. Interim Fire Chief Larry Cocco told TTC commissioners in October there is a “low probability” of e-bikes catching fire, but when they do go up in flames, there is an “extremely high risk” to people.
The proposed ban was initially put forward for a vote during the TTC’s board meeting on Oct. 29, but commissioners instead decided to refer the issue back to the TTC’s Racial Equity Office for additional analysis.
During the October meeting, some TTC commissioners noted the ban could have a heavy-handed impact on food delivery workers and other transit users who may use their e-bikes as a “last mile” mode of transportation.
“What are [gig workers] supposed to do? Starve for six months of the year? Are they supposed to buy a car and then drive around downtown Toronto trying to deliver their sandwiches? It doesn't give them a way forward,” Saxe said at the time.
The motion that passed Tuesday recommended the city work with TTC staff, Gig Workers United and food delivery companies like Uber to study the feasibility of installing better e-bike storage and charging infrastructure near transit stations.
Racial Equity Office report
Reporting back to the TTC Board on Tuesday, the Racial Equity Office’s analysis confirmed some commissioners’ fears.
“Low-income individuals and marginalized groups with limited transportation options would be disproportionately affected by a ban,” the report prepared by chief people and culture officer Shakira Naraine reads.
Research the office reviewed indicates that e-bikes are a “cost-effective and eco-friendly” mode of transport that are “readily available and affordable” for low-income commuters. Relying on public transit alone, or using normal bicycles, can be less economically viable and, in some cases, less convenient for some users.
The TTC received over 30 emails from gig workers “emphasizing the negative impacts from a winter ban.”
A seasonal ban on e-bikes could lead to several downsides for gig workers, the report noted, including loss of income, reduced efficiency and decreased autonomy.
For the average transit user, the ban could also lead to decreased accessibility, which could restrict peoples’ access to essential services and exacerbate economic challenges.
The report suggested the TTC could see “many benefits” if the transit agency adopts the same e-bike regulations as Metrolinx.
Metrolinx, which operates GO Transit, updated its e-bike policy in April to ban uncertified e-bike batteries. Metrolinx staff have been directed to inspect passengers’ e-bikes before boarding and affix a tamper-proof seal to e-bikes that are “CE” or “UL” certified — referring to the Conformité Européenne and Underwriters Laboratories Of Canada certifications, respectively.
“By taking a similar approach as Metrolinx, the TTC could address legitimate safety concerns while preserving the socio-economic benefits that e-bikes offer to users and business owners,” the report said.
Three battery experts told TorontoToday that the most important step to making e-bikes safer is to ensure that all e-bikes in Canada undergo safety testing and achieve certification. Currently, there are no restrictions on importing or selling uncertified e-bikes in Canada.
“Most [e-bikes] are imported from Asia with very little regulation or safety considerations,” said Ravi Kempaiah, a mechanical engineer and CEO of the electric battery company Zen Energy. “It’s like the wild west.”
Provincial regulations on the horizon
The TTC’s decision to ban e-bikes in winter comes as the provincial government moves towards stricter regulations on e-bikes in Ontario.
On Monday, the Ministry of Transportation decided to proceed with a proposal to redefine e-bikes under the Highway Traffic Act, paving the way for “enhanced safety requirements.”
Such requirements haven’t been announced by the province, but it’s possible e-bikes riders will have to earn a licence or purchase insurance to ride these vehicles once the regulations are established.
