n the span of five years, micromobility has evolved from a gadget to a credible alternative to private car ownership throughout the world. Cities as diverse as Chicago, Paris, Tel Aviv and Seoul have embraced new mobility solutions such as bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, or even mopeds for daily trips. These solutions are not only greener and lower speed, they are also less cumbersome than owning a car, particularly if they are shared. However, although the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of micromobility in urban areas, it has also highlighted the need of political and regulatory support to leverage this trend for the greater good.
From Car Culture to Mobility Culture
Since the end of the 19th century, car culture has spread across the globe. The car has not only been a tremendous driver of economic development and emancipation, but has shaped how billions of people live. For many, mobility is both an aspiration and an important part of life. However, private car use is not without consequences such as urban congestion, polluting emissions, and noise pollution.
More than half of the world’s population today lives in urban areas, a figure that could climb to two-thirds by 2050. In this context, the movement of people in cities is a continuous challenge. The development of urban public transport has been essential in accommodating urbanization, but has been only partially successful in tackling the problems associated with car culture. As these problems continue, micromobility has rapidly expanded in recent years.
In 2017, Bird launched the first shared e-scooters in Santa Monica, California, with the ambitious goal of becoming a major player in urban sustainable mobility. One year later, Bird’s success had sparked a rapid expansion of micromobility solutions across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Over the last few years, service-sharing operators have not only seen their shared bike and scooter fleets grow, but also expanded their services by introducing other two-wheeled vehicles such as mopeds. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of shared micromobility trips in the United States increased from 84 million to 136 million, with scooters accounting for the vast majority of this growth. In addition, the total number of companies dedicated to micromobility across the globe exploded from around 140 in October 2019 to 424 in September 2020.
Rebound Effect or Structural Change
Facing a hostile environment dominated by car culture, micromobility operators have been obliged to constantly adapt since their inception. Innovation has been particularly critical. A study showed for instance in 2019 that shared e-scooters would generate 130 grams of CO2 per person and per kilometer, a lower impact than a car. In the meantime, Bird claims that its new scooters model’s emissions are almost 75% less than personal cars, due to an improved life cycle. These environmental improvements were clearly mentioned when new regulations allowing the trials of rental scooters came into force in the United Kingdom in July 2020.
However, operators were unprepared to face the COVID-19 crisis. To curb the spread of coronavirus, national and local authorities around the world implemented lockdown and shelter-at-home measures that caused an unprecedented restriction of freedom of movement. Most micromobility service providers removed their fleets in nearly every country to prevent unnecessary travel, leading to devastating declines in ridership and revenue.
But as COVID-19 lockdowns begin to ease around the world, micromobility is observing early signs of what could prove to be a global surge in ridership. In Seoul, for instance, the number of e-scooters doubled from 16,500 to 35,800 between May and August. Similarly, in Paris, the Vélib’ public bicycle sharing platform registered 400,000 subscribers, an increase of 150,000 from the previous year.
With the increased anxieties over using public transport due to the pandemic, micromobility is increasingly seen as an alternative mode of transport that allows for easier social distancing.
An Opportunity for Policy Makers
Micromobility is likely to be much more than just a temporary alternative to cars and public transportation. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that micromobility could become a credible solution to the challenges faced by car culture in urban settings. The crisis has demonstrated the performance of remote work, allowing for shortened commute times in most people’s lives. Individuals in urban areas seem more favorable to shorter commutes and closer neighborhood living. With shorter commutes, micromobility becomes increasingly possible.
In the long term, none of this is possible without the support of national and local authorities. This momentum resulting from the crisis represents a unique opportunity for governments to address major climatic issues and the social need for mobility in urban areas. Car use still represents a major part of the transport sector, which accounts for 14% of total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Governments should take major steps toward the ecological transition in transportation by providing greater space for micromobility within the package of mobility solutions. Many cities have developed temporary cycle lanes along major commuting routes to prevent a rush back to cars by workers scared of taking public transport. Governments should convert these temporary infrastructures into permanent routes to promote micromobility. This can be done while diversifying and increasing mobility capacities in urban areas by limiting the use of private cars in city centers through the implementation of low-emission zones.
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Micromobility Has Gone From Opportunity To Necessity
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Photo by Herry Sutanto via Unsplash.
November 17, 2020
Micromobility solutions have become more widespread in the past five years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how critical micromobility is to urban areas—and how important political and regulatory support will be for its further development.
I
n the span of five years, micromobility has evolved from a gadget to a credible alternative to private car ownership throughout the world. Cities as diverse as Chicago, Paris, Tel Aviv and Seoul have embraced new mobility solutions such as bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, or even mopeds for daily trips. These solutions are not only greener and lower speed, they are also less cumbersome than owning a car, particularly if they are shared. However, although the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of micromobility in urban areas, it has also highlighted the need of political and regulatory support to leverage this trend for the greater good.
From Car Culture to Mobility Culture
Since the end of the 19th century, car culture has spread across the globe. The car has not only been a tremendous driver of economic development and emancipation, but has shaped how billions of people live. For many, mobility is both an aspiration and an important part of life. However, private car use is not without consequences such as urban congestion, polluting emissions, and noise pollution.
More than half of the world’s population today lives in urban areas, a figure that could climb to two-thirds by 2050. In this context, the movement of people in cities is a continuous challenge. The development of urban public transport has been essential in accommodating urbanization, but has been only partially successful in tackling the problems associated with car culture. As these problems continue, micromobility has rapidly expanded in recent years.
In 2017, Bird launched the first shared e-scooters in Santa Monica, California, with the ambitious goal of becoming a major player in urban sustainable mobility. One year later, Bird’s success had sparked a rapid expansion of micromobility solutions across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Over the last few years, service-sharing operators have not only seen their shared bike and scooter fleets grow, but also expanded their services by introducing other two-wheeled vehicles such as mopeds. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of shared micromobility trips in the United States increased from 84 million to 136 million, with scooters accounting for the vast majority of this growth. In addition, the total number of companies dedicated to micromobility across the globe exploded from around 140 in October 2019 to 424 in September 2020.
Rebound Effect or Structural Change
Facing a hostile environment dominated by car culture, micromobility operators have been obliged to constantly adapt since their inception. Innovation has been particularly critical. A study showed for instance in 2019 that shared e-scooters would generate 130 grams of CO2 per person and per kilometer, a lower impact than a car. In the meantime, Bird claims that its new scooters model’s emissions are almost 75% less than personal cars, due to an improved life cycle. These environmental improvements were clearly mentioned when new regulations allowing the trials of rental scooters came into force in the United Kingdom in July 2020.
However, operators were unprepared to face the COVID-19 crisis. To curb the spread of coronavirus, national and local authorities around the world implemented lockdown and shelter-at-home measures that caused an unprecedented restriction of freedom of movement. Most micromobility service providers removed their fleets in nearly every country to prevent unnecessary travel, leading to devastating declines in ridership and revenue.
But as COVID-19 lockdowns begin to ease around the world, micromobility is observing early signs of what could prove to be a global surge in ridership. In Seoul, for instance, the number of e-scooters doubled from 16,500 to 35,800 between May and August. Similarly, in Paris, the Vélib’ public bicycle sharing platform registered 400,000 subscribers, an increase of 150,000 from the previous year.
With the increased anxieties over using public transport due to the pandemic, micromobility is increasingly seen as an alternative mode of transport that allows for easier social distancing.
An Opportunity for Policy Makers
Micromobility is likely to be much more than just a temporary alternative to cars and public transportation. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that micromobility could become a credible solution to the challenges faced by car culture in urban settings. The crisis has demonstrated the performance of remote work, allowing for shortened commute times in most people’s lives. Individuals in urban areas seem more favorable to shorter commutes and closer neighborhood living. With shorter commutes, micromobility becomes increasingly possible.
In the long term, none of this is possible without the support of national and local authorities. This momentum resulting from the crisis represents a unique opportunity for governments to address major climatic issues and the social need for mobility in urban areas. Car use still represents a major part of the transport sector, which accounts for 14% of total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Governments should take major steps toward the ecological transition in transportation by providing greater space for micromobility within the package of mobility solutions. Many cities have developed temporary cycle lanes along major commuting routes to prevent a rush back to cars by workers scared of taking public transport. Governments should convert these temporary infrastructures into permanent routes to promote micromobility. This can be done while diversifying and increasing mobility capacities in urban areas by limiting the use of private cars in city centers through the implementation of low-emission zones.
