Abstract:

Shared electric scooters (e-scooters), as one type of shared micro-mobility, have become increasingly popular in cities worldwide as a potential sustainable transportation mode. This study proposes a modeling framework to identify the potential impacts of e-scooter trips on the existing bus system, considering the spatiotemporal availability of bus service. The effect of the potentially competing trips on transit ridership can then be verified using Difference-in-Differences models. The framework is applied to Indianapolis, Indiana, as a case study. The results show that about 27% of e-scooter trips could potentially compete with the bus system and are concentrated downtown. The potential competing relationship can also lead to a bus ridership reduction. The complementary trips (29%) are mainly located outside downtown, where the bus coverage is low. Repositioning e-scooters to areas with limited bus service can better promote a synergistic relationship between the two systems.