Shared Mobility Ridership on the Rebound

Ridership on shared mobility devices like scooters and bikes is starting to reach pre-pandemic levels, according to the North American Bikeshare & Scootershare Association’s 2021 Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report. As Charles Pekow reports in Smart Cities Dive, “North Americans took an estimated 128 million trips on shared mobility vehicles in 2021 — 53% more than in 2020, but 18% lower than in 2019, the report stated.”

The pandemic likely introduced more people to micromobility, says NABSA Exeutive Director Samantha Herr. “Many more people tried it during the pandemic … As horrible as the pandemic has been, it really did highlight the importance of shared micromobility.”

The report also includes statistics about device fleets, highlighting the growth of e-scooter deployment, which increased by 57 percent during 2021. More providers also implemented reduced fare programs, but only 21 percent have started offering adaptive devices for people with mobility challenges. The report also notes that “Men and those between the ages of 25 and 44 were overrepresented as a share of the population that use shared micromobility.”