Technology blog
US study says tiny mobility vehicles could ease urban congestion
In the United States, the number of electric vehicles has quickly become the new choice for mobility. Electric scooters and e-bikes help commuters and tourists get around and explore, but with that comes public safety concerns, with some cities even banning or limiting rental hours.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology recently published an interesting finding in the scientific journal Nature Energy. They show that by limiting the use of e-scooters and e-bikes, users will fall back into old habits and actually cause more annoyance.
They note: "Decisions that shape our cities can have unintended effects. We have established that when scooters and e-bikes are banned, drivers experience a statistically significant increase in congestion as many riders return to ride-hailing." Cars for last mile transport."
Data was analyzed in downtown Atlanta from 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. in 2019 after e-scooter and e-bike rentals were banned. The average commute time in downtown Atlanta and surrounding areas jumped from 9 percent to 11 percent due to increased congestion, the study found.
As more voters become familiar with the use of micromobility vehicles and how they can actually improve commute times, let alone negate pollution output, they will need to consider revising their limits, and the findings will cause headaches for administrators.
“In order to accelerate the adoption of micromobility and realize its related sustainability benefits, we believe that cities need to make additional investments in physical and digital infrastructure. For physical infrastructure, land use and space allocation will need to be improved,” the report said. Long-term planning, such as converting lanes normally reserved for cars to cycle lanes that can be used for tiny cars."
Omar Asensio, a co-author of the report, said the Georgia team's study was "the first to analyze the impact of banning e-scooters and e-bikes in the real world." "If further adoption of micromobility comes at the expense of 'polluting' modes such as private vehicles or other car-based mobility, these investments will become even more important for sustainable urban development and will have greater policy implications. With their With the potential to replace cars for personal mobility and drive short-term emissions reductions, minicars will continue to see strong growth as an urban mobility solution."
The findings mirror other research in Seattle showing that minicars could replace up to 18 percent of short car trips in congested areas, or reduce traffic around subway stations by up to 4 percent.
Previous suggestions that congestion could be alleviated may have been theoretical before. But now that it's being studied by groups like the Georgia Institute of Technology, the facts are there. It's an exciting time for the industry as a whole, even though regulations may be a hindrance.
Ouka team will provide high end electric bike
0users like this.
