Shared e-scooters can be sustainable—but there’s a catch

by | Aug 14, 2023 |

DEPOSIT PHOTOS Carla Delgado August 7, 2023 Although the pilot program revealed that a number of users replaced motor vehicle travel with e-scooter sharing, “it also found that scooter-sharing replaced some lower emission active transportation trips,” says Susan Shaheen, co-director of Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Data shows that about 42 percent of Portlanders would have taken lower-emission trips if scooters weren’t an option: 37 percent said they would walk and 5 percent would’ve taken a bicycle. Moreover, the operations of the program—which involves the deployment and retrieval of e-scooters every day—likely added motor vehicle trips to the transportation system, but it is beyond the scope of the study. It’s important to understand the overall impact of e-scooters beyond the trips they replace and consider other factors like manufacturing and longevity because results can vary based on the assumptions and scenarios modeled, says Shaheen. Read full article...

Creative Reallocation of Curbs, Streets, Sidewalks Accelerated by the Pandemic May be Here to Stay

by | Aug 11, 2023 |

Authors: Susan Shaheen, PhD, Adam Cohen, Jacquelyn Broader Date: July 2023 Abstract: Curb space has been traditionally designed for private vehicle parking, public transit, and passenger and commercial loading. However, in recent years, a growing number of newservices and activities have increased the demand for limited curb space, including passenger pick-up and drop-off; last-mile delivery (e.g., courier network services, personal delivery devices); electric vehicle (EV) charging; micromobility parking and use (e.g., personally owned and shared bikes and scooters); and carsharing services. The curb serves a variety of functions such as vehicle and device storage (including personally owned and shared vehicles and devices), outdoor dining and retail, greenspace, and other uses. These changes are contributing to a notable shift in how people access and use the curb, and how public agencies plan, prioritize, and manage curbside interactions. View...

3rd Annual Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report

by | Aug 30, 2022 |

Authors: North American Bikeshare & Scooter Share Association Date: August 2022 Abstract: NABSA is pleased to present our third annual Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report. In 2021, the industry continued to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with shared micromobility filling critical gaps in essential mobility. The industry continued to rebound and demonstrate tremendous resilience, with the number of systems growing past pre-pandemic levels. This report tracks that progress and the trends that are emerging in the industry. To inform this report, we have collected data across a wide variety of topics, including ridership metrics, user profiles, employment, equity, and community benefits. Our data sources include surveys sent to shared micromobility operators and public agencies across North America, supplemented by research reports on shared micromobility, census data, and other data that is tracked by NABSA. This 2021 State of the Industry report shows a snapshot in time, providing a comparison for tracking trends with previous years and marking successes and challenges as the industry continues to evolve. See page 19 for detailed notes on methodology. View...

NABSA sets micromobility baseline in first ‘state of the industry’ report

by | Dec 15, 2020 |

Kristin Musulin, December 14, 2020 The assessment is the first of its kind in North America to show aggregated metrics of the micromobility industry at-large, according to NABSA. The report points to 264 cities in the U.S., 17 in Mexico and 11 in Canada that had at least one bike-share or e-scooter system in 2019. “Before this, there was really a gap in this kind of data about the industry, and filling this gap was a need that was made particularly prominent to us by a member priorities poll that we conducted in early 2019,” said Herr. She went on to say this report can  now serve as a “baseline to track future trends and success in the industry.” … Read the full article...

Covid has spurred a bike boom, but most U.S. cities aren’t ready for it

by | Dec 14, 2020 |

Natalie Zhang, December 8, 2020 Bikes have been a hot ticket item during the Covid pandemic. In early 2020, bike stores struggled to keep up with the demand. Bicycle sales reached $1 billion in April, an increase of 75 percent from the previous year, according to market research company NPD Group. Major U.S. cities even adjusted to the demand. They temporarily closed streets to give residents more room to travel and restaurants more curbside room while maintaining a social distance. In some cities like Seattle, it has led to a permanent move toward more bicycle-friendly streets. With more bikes on road — along with more mopeds, scooters and motorcycles — transportation experts say this moment appears prime for a transit upheaval. … Watch the full video.  ...