Ryerson University is testing e-bikes, and needs testers. MDCA was asked to promote this, so here is what we were told. April 3, 2022
Participation in this project is voluntary and participants reserve the right to withdraw their consent to participate at any time. The project will take about 4 weeks of the participant’s time. Participation includes:
- An introductory interview about their present neighbourhood, their current mobility patterns, past neighbourhoods and their mobility during their middle age.
- A two-week period with wearing a GPS tracker and filling out a travel diary.
- A two-week trial period using a cargo e-trike (lent to participants at no cost) wearing a GPS tracker and filling out a second travel diary. Participants will receive training on how to operate and secure the e-trike before this two-week trial period.
- A post-interview to talk about participant’s experiences with and thoughts on using the cargo e-trike.
- A virtual focus group with all participants to discuss what a community lending program should look like (tentative based on pandemic restrictions and willingness of participants).
We are seeking your help to recruit 10 community-dwelling older adult participants from northwest Toronto, who meet the eligibility criteria. Potential participants will be given the opportunity to participate in a virtual information session/phone call where we can share more information about what their participation would entail.
This research project seeks to bring e-cycle micro-mobility solutions to older adults living in the northwest area of Toronto. This project will fill a much-needed gap in transportation infrastructure – specifically the free use of cargo e-trikes. Outside of Ryerson University, Samantha is a practicing urban planner and is president and on the board of directors at the Toronto Council of Aging. The insights gathered from this research will provide us with an understanding of the barriers and supports within the built environment that affect the use of e-cycles for older adults. These insights will be used to create a toolkit for the implementation of e-cycle programs in other communities in Ontario, thus ensuring the scalability of this project to support age-inclusive communities.
We look forward to hearing from you and discussing the research in greater detail. The study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Ryerson University Research Ethics Board (REB 2021-208). If you have concerns or questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the Ryerson Research Ethics Board at 416-979-5042 or [email protected].
For anyone who is interested in participating, they can sign up here.
We very much look forward to hearing from and discussing the research in greater detail. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this project. We hosted a virtual information session, which can be viewed here to answer any questions potential participants may have.
I may also be reached at this email to answer any questions.
Kind regards,
Morgan Baker (she/her) , Research Coordinator, Northwest Toronto E-Trike Study.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Samantha Biglieri , School of Urban & Regional Planning, Ryerson University* (soon to be renamed)
