How Micromobility affects Land Use
Micromobility works best when the land use and transportation system supports it. The typical scooter share or bikeshare trip is under two miles and takes 11-12 minutes [1]. Micromobility - both manually-powered or electric-powered - may be faster than walking, but nonetheless slower than driving, and leaves users exposed to the elements and street traffic. Streets that are well-connected [2] and dense with a mix of establishments and residences, and robust transit options shorten trip distances and times, and, in turn, facilitate micromobility trips. A meta-analysis of shared micromobility programs found that ridership increased with population density, employment density, bus stops and metro stations, and bike infrastructure [3]. In contrast, low-density neighborhoods with few young people and zero-car households have less access to micromobility services [4]. In the longer run, micromobility may ultimately impact land use by providing more transportation nodes and extending the reach of shared transportation services [5]. A floating bikeshare or carshare service, for example, may enable residents in outlying urban areas to connect to a city’s fixed-route transit system.
References
-
NACTO, “Shared Micromobility in the U.S.: 2018,” NACTO, New York City, 2019. Accessed: Aug. 20, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NACTO_Shared-Micromobility-in-2018_Web.pdf
-
K. Wang, G. Akar, and Y.-J. Chen, “Bike sharing differences among millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers: Lessons learnt from New York City’s bike share,” Transp. Res. Part Policy Pract., vol. 116, pp. 1–14, 2018.
-
A. Ghaffar, M. Hyland, and J.-D. Saphores, “Meta-analysis of shared micromobility ridership determinants,” Transp. Res. Part Transp. Environ., vol. 121, p. 103847, 2023.
Z. Chen, D. Van Lierop, and D. Ettema, “Dockless bike-sharing systems: what are the implications?,” Transp. Rev., vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 333–353, May 2020, doi: 10.1080/01441647.2019.1710306.
-
Y. Zhang, D. Kasraian, and P. van Wesemael, “Built environment and micro-mobility,” J. Transp. Land Use, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 293–317, 2023.
Related Literature Reviews
See Literature Reviews on Micromobility
See Literature Reviews on Land Use
Note: Mobility COE research partners conducted this literature review in Spring of 2024 based on research available at the time. Unless otherwise noted, this content has not been updated to reflect newer research.