Santa Monica, CA, April 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shared micromobility is revolutionizing urban transportation, offering a convenient and sustainable solution for everyday trips. However, not everyone has equal access to shared vehicles on city streets. In an effort to address this issue, Veo, a leading micromobility provider, embarked on a research effort to uncover strategies for broadening access to shared micromobility. In the first white paper in a series on the topic of increasing access, Veo explores how to increase access to micromobility through vehicle design.
“Our findings show that throttle-assist, seated vehicles are transforming micromobility, providing a level of accessibility unmatched by traditional stand-up scooters,” said Candice Xie, co-founder and CEO of Veo. “Yet, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. From trikes to two-seated vehicles and beyond, innovative vehicle design solutions hold potential to broaden micromobility’s impact. This report serves as a catalyst to spark conversation, drive further research, and champion inclusivity in our quest for a more sustainable and equitable transportation future.”
Despite extensive research on the role of protected bike lanes in enhancing access, there remains a significant gap in understanding how vehicle design influences accessibility. Veo aims to start a conversation on this topic through insights gleaned from focus groups in Seattle, Washington, and quantitative data collected from Veo’s national rider survey. In this white paper, Veo proposes ten recommendations for improving micromobility access through vehicle design, with a focus on adults aged 45+ and riders with disabilities.
Key insights of the report:
- Various features can enhance accessibility: This includes throttles that allow riders to propel themselves forward without pedaling, seats for balance and comfort, a low center of gravity for stability, and large tires for navigating uneven surfaces.
- Riders aged 45 and above and people with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to prefer seated, throttle-assist vehicles over standing scooters: These riders will benefit significantly from the integration of more accessible vehicle types into micromobility programs.
- Mixed fleets of vehicles support a diverse population: People are different by design, which is why micromobility fleets should offer a range of vehicle types to meet the varied needs and preferences of community members.
- Cities should leverage policy tools to increase access: Cities should mandate and incentivize micromobility providers to offer mixed fleets, with a guarantee that a mix of vehicles with accessible features will be available to the community at all times.
- Community-centered vehicle innovation is crucial: Micromobility vehicles available on the shared use market do not fully meet the access needs of adults aged 45+ and people with disabilities. Micromobility providers should prioritize innovation and community engagement to develop and deploy accessible fleets of the future.
Numerous cities are actively paving the way for more accessible micromobility programs.
- New York City, NY: The New York City Department of Transportation coordinated with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to require all vendors permitted in their system to participate in an accessible design competition as a condition of their permit.
- Washington, DC: The nation’s capital boasts a diverse fleet of approximately 20,000 vehicles, proactively including a mixed vehicle fleet of standing scooters, pedal-only bikes, class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes, and class 2 throttle-assist e-bikes.
- Newark, NJ: In Newark, regulations incentivize mixed vehicle fleets by offering micromobility providers a larger fleet cap if they incorporate a variety of vehicle types.
- Toledo, Ohio: The City of Toledo is taking proactive steps with vehicle design by hosting community design charrettes in collaboration with Veo focused on bringing innovative, accessible vehicle types such as trikes into its micromobility program.
- Milwaukee, WI: The City’s Shared Mobility Program requires operators to provide an “accessible” vehicle type including but not limited to scooters with seats and wider wheels.
- Berkeley, CA: The City stipulated the need for an operator with a seated option in their micromobility permit requirements.
Download the white paper: From Trikes to Seated Scooters: Increasing Access to Micromobility Through Vehicle Design
ABOUT VEO
Veo is on a mission to end car dependency by making clean transportation accessible to all. We have provided millions of shared bike and scooter rides in 50+ cities and universities across North America – and we’re just getting started.
Veo operates from a set of values that distinguish us in the industry. We are grounded in financial responsibility: Veo partnered with select cities to achieve profitability before scaling. We’re constantly innovating, leveraging our in-house design and manufacturing process to provide cities with the safest, most accessible fleet of shared electric bikes and scooters on the market. We believe that long-term partnerships with cities and universities are crucial to success, enabling us to work together toward a sustainable, safe, and equitable transportation future.
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