Shared Mobility Starts to Reach Critical Mass

According to a brief in Smart Cities Dive by Dan Zukowski, “In a December survey of more than 30,000 mobility users in 15 countries, the consulting firm found that over 25% of respondents living in urban areas said they were considering getting rid of their private vehicles in favor of other transportation options.”

This signals the growing mainstream popularity of shared mobility such as ride hailing, bike share, and shared e-scooters. “ In 2021, shared micromobility users racked up 121 million trips on bikes and scooters in the U.S., according to data from the National Association of City Transportation Officials.”

Zukowski points out that cities will need to adapt to these new mode shares, quoting Kersten Heineke, co-leader of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility: “If we think about sizeable fleets of shared vehicles in cities, we will need to either repurpose parking garages or create new spots, new spaces where these vehicles can be cleaned, maintained, parked whenever they’re not in operation.” Bike and scooter riders will need safe, protected micromobility lanes to get around cities and connect to transit and urban amenities.

In its early days, the rapid introduction of e-scooters with little regulation led to conflict with pedestrians and cluttered sidewalks; ride-hailing vehicles block curb space while waiting for customers and have led cities to establish designated loading zones; and autonomous vehicles are causing traffic jams and interfering with transit and emergency vehicles in San Francisco and elsewhere.