Abstract:

Micromobility options, such as shared e-scooters, e-bikes, and bicycles, can provide increased travel options for short trips. The usage of shared e-scooters, dockless e-bikes, and docked bicycles are correlated with weather conditions to examine the relative impact on each mode, precisely the number of trips taken, their duration, and distance. Data is obtained from the City of Austin data portal. Rain, temperature, and wind conditions are obtained from NOAA. A variety of analysis methods are applied, specifically Prais-Winsten and Negative Binomial regressions and a Random Forest model to examine the full suite of weather variables and avoid some of the distributional issues in the trip models. In addition, controls are included for holidays, days of the week, and special events in Austin (such as the SXSW festival); all are found to be critical control variables, with SXSW associated with significant increases in trips. Results suggest that docked bicycle and e-bike usage is more sensitive to adverse weather conditions than e-scooter trips. However, all are reduced in colder, rainier, and windier conditions and extreme heat and high relative humidity. The results here suggest that the student population may be taking shorter e-scooter trips, and again, these are serving a valuable purpose for this population. Micromobility holds the potential of a more environmentally friendly means of transportation for short trips in cities. If the weather is a deterrent, these modes will need to evolve to provide weather protection. However, maintaining a lightweight and energy-efficient movement may be challenging as a result of this.