What opportunities do robo-taxis in San Francisco offer? Experts explain.

by | Sep 19, 2023 |

Photo/Bill Stone, California PATH/UC Berkeley Rachel Leven September 19, 2023 Susan Shaheen, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center, discusses automated vehicles with the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society. Hundreds of self-driving cars have flooded San Francisco streets following a recent state decision that allowed certain ‘robo-taxis’ to operate 24 hours a day and to charge passengers. This new reality could provide data that helps vet decades of theory about autonomous vehicles and how they fit into society, UC Berkeley academics said. This moment also offers an opportunity to reimagine what accessibility and equality looks like in transportation. “Technology has the potential to provide powerful strategies to address a number of societal issues. However, advanced technology also has the ability to divide,” said Susan Shaheen, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center and a civil and environmental engineering professor. “That’s something we really need to be conscious of as we move forward.” Read full article...

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...

Shared Mobility in Low- and High-Income Regions

by | Feb 9, 2023 |

Authors: Susan Shaheen, Adam Cohen, Jacquelyn Broadeer Date: January 2023 Abstract: Although shared and informal transport are not new concepts in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), a variety of economic, environmental, and social forces are contributing to the growth of shared mobility in LMICs around the world. Shared mobility—the shared use of a vehicle, motorcycle, autorickshaw, minibus, scooter, bicycle, or other travel mode—is an innovative transportation strategy that enables users to have short-term access to a transportation mode. This paper documents key shared mobility and informal transport concepts, terms, and definitions around the world. The paper also discusses the state of shared, informal, and emerging mobility in LMICs and explores the potential similarities and differences between the adoption of these innovations in low-, middle-, and high-income economies. The paper concludes with a discussion of gaps in understanding and potential research needs to enhance collective understanding of shared mobility and informal transport in LMICs. View...