Evaluation of Transportation Network Infrastructure, Safety, and Travel Route Characteristics of Bike Share, Electric-Powered Pedal-Assist Bike Share, and Electric Scooter System Operation
Research Team
William J. Davis, The Citadel
Kari Watkins, Georgia Institute of Technology
Kweku Brown, The Citadel
Morgan Hughey, College of Charleston
Daniel Bornstein, The Citadel
Dimitra Michalaka, The Citadel
U.S. cities are witnessing expansive growth of individual ridesharing Mobility as a Service (Maas) options that frequently include bike share, electric-powered pedal-assist bikes (e-bikes), and electric powered scooters (e-scooters) systems. These travel modes appear to have potential in accommodating a portion of short distance (3-mile, or less) urban travel demand in a more efficient manner than alternative travel by private vehicle. A number of potential benefits associated with these types of MaaS ridesharing systems include: less air emissions, less fossil fuel consumption, greater sustainability, reduced demand on parking, reduced demand on network capacity, traffic congestion mitigation, increased physical activity, and improved public health outcomes. GPS tracking of individual routes using these modes, and GIS aggregation of travel data, provides a means for better understanding the potential of these modes to accommodate short distance urban trips, provides insight into how these modes differ, and offers insight as to what modifications need to be made to transportation network infrastructure to better accommodate these types of MaaS travel options. Through partnerships with MaaS private mobility providers, trip making comparisons and GPS route data will be compared for bike share, electric-powered pedal-assist bikes (e-bikes), and electric powered scooters (e-scooters) systems. Results will be useful in better understanding the differences between these types of vehicles in their potential for providing efficient travel options and meeting urban travel demand needs. Operations, safety, transportation network infrastructure, and jurisdictional implementation of these types of MaaS systems will also be analyzed and evaluated.