Evaluation of Portland Shared E-Scooter Pilot Program Goals and Outcomes

Shared electric scooters (e-scooters) are fast becoming a mobility option across the U.S. Many cities are permitting their operation, in part, as a way to provide another option to driving private cars. This could reduce private vehicle miles traveled (VMT), congestion, and emissions, helping cities meet major policy objectives. In the Spring 2019, the City of Portland will be launching a yearlong shared e-scooter pilot program. The city is expecting to have multiple companies providing service in the city starting with 2,500 e-scooters in service. The city’s program will focus on giving people access to a new transportation option while also ensuring that e-scooters will support five critical City goals: 1) Increase the share of trips made using active and low-carbon transportation modes; 2) Prevent fatalities and serious injuries on Portland streets; 3) Improve pedestrian safety, accessibility, and convenience for people of all ages and abilities; 4) Provide equitable transportation services; and 5) Reduce air pollution, including climate pollution (1). Early evidence from Portland’s first pilot indicates that some people are using scooters to replace trips that would otherwise be made in their own car or a ride-hailing car, thus reducing VMT. However, the total VMT impacts of scooter systems need to account for fleet operations. There are various business operation models for shared scooter systems. Some companies employ people (chargers) thru the gig economy to collect scooters with low batteries, charge them and put them back into service, while other companies use internal operations, company vehicles and employees. Determining the VMT of scooter operations is a high priority of the City of Portland during this second pilot program. The primary objective of this research is to quantify the impacts of scooter operations on VMT. Additionally, the research team will be looking to better understand the internal operations and business models of scooter companies, particularly the people participating in the charging of scooters. The results will estimate the impacts of the charging operations and provide suggestions for best practices and opportunities for cities to include in permits, policies, incentives and regulations to minimize any negative impacts.

• Record URL:
  https://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/1284

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $215622
• Contract Numbers:

  NITC-1284

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Portland Bureau of Transportation

  1120 SW 5th Ave
  Suite 800
  Portland, Oregon  United States  97201

  Portland State University

  1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 175
  Portland, Oregon  United States  97201
• Managing Organizations:

  TREC at Portland State University

  1900 SW Fourth Ave, Suite 175
  P.O. Box 751
  Portland, Oregon  United States  97201
• Project Managers:

  Hagedorn, Hau

• Performing Organizations:

  Portland State University

  1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 175
  Portland, Oregon  United States  97201
• Principal Investigators:

  MacArthur, John

  Broach, Joseph

  Dill, Jennifer

• Start Date: 20190801
• Expected Completion Date: 20201231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cities; Electric vehicle charging; Electric vehicles; Impacts; Industries; Pilot studies; Scooters; Vehicle miles of travel; Vehicle sharing
• Geographic Terms: Portland (Oregon)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01710578
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Institute for Transportation and Communities
• Contract Numbers: NITC-1284
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 9 2019 3:19PM