Micromobility impacts on personal automobile usage

North American cities are experiencing a rising demand for bicycling and bike share services, especially for dockless bike and scooter shares (also known as micromobility services). Because micromobility services can reduce the use of vehicles in cities, they have great potential to reduce emissions, increase accessibility, positively affect the climate and human health, and ensure equity, among many other benefits.

By quantifying the scale of micromobility service use, cities and regions can better understand the widespread effects of ensuring access to such services in their communities. DataLab’s Wesley Brooks collaborated with PI Dillon Fitch of the UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies to design a study that measured the differences in driving behavior when a person utilizes micromobility services. By integrating data from several different studies, the researchers estimated the number of responses and duration of data needed to measure reductions in driving. The project’s primary questions interrogate frequency of use, shifts in travel modes, travel behavior differences between users and non-users of micromobility services, and the appeal of variations in such services (such as docked vs. dockless bicycles, scooters, vs. bikes, etc.).  Data collection for this project began in mid-2022 and is predicted to lead to a number of publications and dissertations in the coming years.