Analysis of spatial interactions among shared e-scooters, shared bikes, and public transit

Abstract

Shared bikes, shared e-scooters, and public transit make up most public transportation modes in big cities. Their combination can provide a convenient, efficient, and flexible multi-modal transportation service. Despite the obvious similarity among them, differences exist in the roles that they play in a multi-modal transportation system. A case study in the City of Austin, where shared bikes, shared e-scooters, and public transit coexist, is used to explore their unique characteristics and how they spatially complement or compete with each other. The results show that public transit has more pronounced characteristics related to commuting than shared micromobility modes do, and that shared bikes are more likely to be used for commuting compared to shared e-scooters. Interestingly, the results suggest that there is spatial segregation between where shared bikes complement public transit and shared e-scooters complement public transit, i.e., only one shared mode complements public transit at a given area.

Keywords:

• Geographically weighted regression
• public transit
• shared micromobility
• spatial competition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.