Can shared micromobility replace auto travel? Evidence from the U.S. urbanized areas between 2012 and 2019

Abstract

Previous literature has shown mixed findings on whether bike or e-scooter share programs, collectively called shared micromobility, play a role in reducing vehicle travel. In this study, we focused on two types of shared micromobility (i.e., bikes—both regular and e-bikes—and e-scooters). We examined their impact on vehicle travel in urbanized areas in the United States between 2012 and 2019. Employing the difference-in-differences (DID) approach, we quantified the collective effect of shared micromobility on daily vehicle miles of travel (VMT) per capita at the urbanized area level. Our findings suggest that bike shares could reduce VMT while e-scooter share alone might not have a significant impact on lowering vehicle travel. Our results also indicate that there may be a synergistic effect of bike and scooter shares in VMT reduction when both types of shared micromobility are available in an urbanized area. Our findings also demonstrate regional variations in the impact of shared micromobility on vehicle travel.