Co-Mobility Forum: E-scooter Sharing: Pilots, Plans and Regulation
Agenda
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• Travel Behaviour • Safety• Operations• Regulation• Hearing from Briana Orr from the
Portland Board of Transportation on their experiences with e-Scooters
• Hearing from Emma Silver, from operator Bird
Travel Behaviour
• Quicker, cheaper and lighter than previous personal electric modes (Segway, Sinclair C5).
• 1.6-mile avg trip length, avg speed of 7.5 mph and top speed of 15mph.
• Avg trip time 12- 18 minutes
• Up to 5-6 rides per day in Santa Monica, high utilisation.
• A battery range of ~20 miles but increasing.
E-Scooters by numbers…
Safety• E-Scooters present their own
unique challenges: quieter, smaller wheels, open for misuse (drunk riders etc), inexperienced riders.
• Companies are taking pro-active approach, in-app messages, subsided helmets, talk-of rear-mounted cameras.
• How to manage this comes down their place in the urban realm, where they can be used.
Models of Operation
• As with dockless bikes e-Scooter companies have taken a cavalier approach – better to seek forgiveness that ask permission.
• Initially started out with pilot permit programmes, often with more than one company.
• Rental fee with pay-by-the-minute fee. Photo on return of unit.
Cont’d
• Dock-less/free-floating accessed via GPS & mobile phone.
• Batteries charged overnight by members of the public or private companies to be returned to the street the following morning.
• Slip, trip and fall hazard if not parked correctly, parking infrastructure is entering the fray.
Parking (expanded)
• Critical issue for the public acceptability and viability of these schemes.
• Some advocate for ‘semi-dockless’. More space efficient than bikes- 24 scooters in one parking space.
• Parking stations exist which use solar charging and can accommodate all scooter companies.
• Suggestions of parking capacity for 25% of units in a scheme.
E-Scooters by numbers
E-Scooters by numbers
Regulation• In comparison to previous SMOs
E-Scooter companies have taken a more proactive approach to advocacy work.
• Lime- ‘Respect the Ride Campaign’.
• Main argument revolves round where they can be used.
• SMOs are incorporating the type of advocacy associated with cycling activism.
UK Regulatory context
• Currently illegal in the UK.
• Under review by the DfT. Possible scope of the review may include:
1. Speed limits
2. Where they can be used
3. Age of ridership
4. Local authorities' ability to regulate
5. Insurance and licensing…
Germany Regulatory context
• Currently illegal in Germany, but soon to changed once through the upper house.
• It would allow e-scooters with a maximum top speed of 7.5 mph to operate on sidewalks, bike paths and in pedestrian zones. Such scooters could be operated by anyone 12 years of age or older.
• E-scooters with a top speed of 20 kph would be limited to operation on designated bike paths or bike lanes. The minimum operator age for such vehicles would be 14.
Thank you
The Portland E-Scooter ExperienceBriana Orr, Portland Bureau of Transportation
• Context and Pilot Facts
• Data Sources
• Pilot Findings
• Next Steps
• Questions & Discussion
Overview
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N
Context: Managing change in an evolving city
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Context: What are e-scooters and how
do they work?
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 18
Assess the potential of a new transportation option.
Assess whether and how e-scooters can help:
• Reduce private motor vehicle use and
congestion
• Prevent fatalities and injuries
• Expand access for underserved communities
• Reduce air pollution, including climate pollution
Context: Pilot goals
Data Sources
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 20
• Company-provided availability, trip, collision, complaint data
• User survey
• Multnomah County Health Department
• Public opinion poll by DHM Research
• Three separate focus groups
• Reported injuries
• Community feedback and complaints
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 21
Pilot Facts & Overview
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 22
Pilot Findings: 71% of surveyed users said they used e-scooters for transportation
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 23
Pilot Findings: E-scooters at evening peak
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 24
Pilot Findings: 34% Driving and ride-hailing trip replacement
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 25
Pilot Findings: E-Scooters attracted new people to active transportation
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 26
Pilot Findings: 62% of Portlanders viewed e-scooters positively
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 27
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 28
Pilot Findings: Users prefer to ride on bikeways
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 29
Pilot Findings: 44,000+ Trips in East Portland
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 30
Pilot Findings: Sidewalk riding reduced comfort for people walking
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 31
Pilot Findings: Improperly parked scooters negatively impacted accessibility
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 32
Pilot Findings: Low company performance in equity goals
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 33
Pilot Findings: E-Scooter-related injuries
= 5% of total traffic-related injuries during pilot period
Assess the potential of a new transportation option.
Assess whether and how e-scooters can help:
• Reduce private motor vehicle use and
congestion
• Prevent fatalities and injuries
• Expand access for underserved communities
• Reduce air pollution, including climate pollution
Summary: Pilot goals
More opportunities for analysis
Download route data: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/709688
Endpoint data – coming soon!
New one-year pilot beginning 4/26
Next Steps
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 36
P O R T L A N D O R E G O N . G O V / T R A N S P O R T A T I O N 37
Questions?
Briana Orr
E-Scooter Pilot Project Manager
portlandoregon.gov/transportation/e-scooter
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Background on Bird
What is Bird?
Bird is a last-mile electric vehicle sharing
company dedicated to bringing affordable,
environmentally friendly transport solutions to
communities across the world.
Mission
Since first offering our vehicles to communities in
2017, we have proudly worked toward our mission
of making cities more livable by reducing car
usage, traffic, and emissions.
Metro | Bus | Bikes | Bird
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Bird is helping cities
• Provide affordable transport
• Reduce emissions
• Reduce congestion
• Reduce parking problems
• Invest in shared infrastructure
• Promote local industry
• Increase access to transport
in underserved areas
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Bird is easy: Find a Bird, scan, and go!
Bird is inexpensive: £1 to unlock, per minute fee
How we work
Riding Instructions
Become a Bird charger and earn
Step 1: Find and capture scooters on bounty
Step 2: Charge the captured scooters with the
company-provided charging cable
Step 3: Release the charged scooters into
designated ‘nests’ on street
Step 4: Get paid per scooter you charge
and release
Bird employs fleet management teams and also works
with a network of trained chargers and mechanics in the
local markets where we operate.
For every 1,000 Birds in cities in the USA we see
$2.5M
Annual earnings received by chargers
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Opportunities for contract workers
Economic impact
Bird watchers
Employees who are dedicated to:
• Removing Birds out of the public right of way
• Making adjustments to their location by placing
them in safer areas
• Engaging with Bird riders to educate them on safe
riding practices
• Removing damaged Birds
Safety ambassadors
Deployed to educate riders and community
members and to help promote a safe and
equitable service.
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Events & awareness
In communities where Bird operates, we are committed
to:
• Hosting regular safety events to nurture strong
community relations and engage at the local level to
implement, enhance, and promote safe riding
• Organising events to give away helmets
• Using online advertising and social media campaigns
to promote safety and rider education
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Technology
Sharing data
Insights to inform and educate overall operations.
API Endpoints - vehicle status and trip data.
Aggregated and categorized complaints and reports.
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In-app communication
Before beginning their first ride, all Bird riders must first complete
an in-app tutorial focused on safety and rider education.
Community mode
Frictionless, intuitive feature enabling anyone to report bad parking and nest drops.
Parking
• We are currently able to create in-app “No
Parking” zones to educate riders of areas
where they are not allowed to park
• These “No Parking” zones prohibit riders
from ending rides when not in an approved
parking zone
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Case studies
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
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50 Birds
3,800 miles travelled
14.5 minutes (average journey time)
2 tons saving of CO2 if journeys had been made by car
33% of business residents and students used Bird
London, UK
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33% of trips are done in combination with bus, subway or train
5% Of the population of Paris has tried a Bird
70% of trips are to commute or run errands
83% of Parisians want more transport options, such as
‘floating’ mobility services like ours
Paris, France
Bird globally
Available in more than 100 cities around
the world, our operations team is fully-
committed to providing support to
communities, spanning: City officials,
riders, chargers, mechanics, and residents
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Thank you