Changes in Travel Behavior, Attitudes, and Preferences among E-Scooter Riders and Nonriders: First Look at Results from Pre and Post E-Scooter System Launch Surveys at Virginia Tech

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Abstract

Shared micromobility such as electric scooters (e-scooters) has the potential to enhance the sustainability of urban transport by displacing car trips, providing more mobility options, and improving access to public transit. Most published studies on e-scooter ridership focus on cities and only capture data at one point in time. This study reports results from two cross-sectional surveys deployed before ( n = 462) and after ( n = 428) the launch of a fleet of shared e-scooters on Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg, VA. This allowed for a pre–post comparison of attitudes and preferences of e-scooter riders and nonusers. E-scooter ridership on campus followed patterns identified in other studies, with a greater share of younger riders, in particular undergraduate students. Stated intention to ride before system launch was greater than actual ridership. The drop-off between prelaunch intention to ride and actual riding was strongest for older age groups, women, and university staff. As in city surveys, the main reasons for riding e-scooters on campus were travel speed and fun of riding. About 30% indicated using e-scooters to ride to parking lots or to access public transport service, indicating their potential as a connector to other modes of transport. Perceptions about convenience, cost, safety, parking, rider behavior, and usefulness of the e-scooter systems were more positive among nonriders after system launch, indicating that pilot projects may improve public perceptions of e-scooters. Building more bike lanes or separate spaces for e-scooters could help move e-scooter riders off sidewalks—a desire expressed by both pedestrians and e-scooter users.

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Is Open Access

Pedestrians and E-Scooters: An Initial Look at E-Scooter Parking and Perceptions by Riders and Non-Riders

Owain T. James, J Swiderski, John Hicks … (2019)

Since 2018, pedestrians in many U.S. cities have been sharing sidewalk space with dockless shared e-scooters. The introduction of e-scooters has received pushback from pedestrians. Complaints reported in the media include e-scooters blocking walkways and sidewalks when parked illegally as well as safety concerns from pedestrians who do not feel safe around moving e-scooters. However, little is known beyond a few initial studies on e-scooter parking and anecdotes about pedestrian perceptions of e-scooter safety. Our case study from Rosslyn, Virginia, helps shed light on these two issues. First, we conducted a survey of 181 e-scooter riders and non-riders asking about their perceived safety around riders of e-scooters and experiences of sidewalks blocked by e-scooters. We found highly divergent responses about safety and sidewalk blocking perceptions from riders and non-riders. Second, we conducted an observational study of 606 parked e-scooters along three mixed-use corridors in Rosslyn to investigate the relationship between the built environment and e-scooter parking. We found that 16% of 606 observed e-scooters were not parked properly and 6% (36 e-scooters) were blocking pedestrian right-of-way. Moreover, our survey showed that e-scooter trips in Rosslyn replaced trips otherwise taken by Uber, Lyft, or a taxi (39%), foot (33%), bicycle (12%), bus (7%), or car (7%).