Date: June 1, 2019
Author(s): Forest Barnes
Abstract
In 2018, electric-powered shared scooters and stationless (electric) bikeshare proliferated throughout the United States. Many cities have begun to experiment with new permitting systems and regulations for these vehicles. To date, there is scant academic literature on how well scooter and stationless bikeshare permits have helped cities achieve their transit, sustainability, and equity goals. San Francisco was one of the first cities in the United States to create a permit system for stationless bikeshare, and later, scooters. This research investigates and evaluates San Francisco’s scooter and stationless bikeshare pilot permit programs using data collected by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). For 30 percent of scooter trips, scooters enabled riders to connect to transit in order to complete their trip, when they otherwise would not have made the trip by transit. Despite observed VMT reductions, scooters and stationless bikeshare are only estimated to reduce less than .001% of the San Francisco’s annual VMT due to the SFMTA’s low combined bike and scooter cap of 1,750.
About the Project
In 2018 electric powered shared scooters and stationless electric bikeshare proliferated throughout the United States. Many cities have begun to experiment with new permitting systems and regulations for these vehicles. To date, there is scant academic literature on how well scooter and stationless bikeshare permits have helped cities achieve their transit, sustainability, and equity goals. San Francisco was one of the first cities in the United States to create permit systems for stationless bikeshare and scooter companies. This research evaluates scooters and stationless bikeshare use as a first/last mile transit option, reductions in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and equity of utilization. Results indicate that the two travel modes substantially support transit usage, both by connecting riders to transit and by replacing automobile trips.