Dive Brief:
- Mobility platform Remix has released the results of a micromobility policy survey that focuses on emerging best practices identified from 17 cities' dockless bike-share and e-scooter programs. Four key areas surfaced: data sharing, fees, vehicle caps and enforcement.
- Of the 17 cities, 70% request real-time data from the operators, 47% set clear performance criteria for fleet expansion and nearly 25% administer a dynamic fee that fluctuates along with the size of the fleet.
- The report offers a variety of policy recommendations for other cities, such as identifying appropriate areas to convert curbside automobile parking to dockless vehicle parking. It provides the conclusion: "[C]ities that will achieve the most success are those who are proactive in management and have clarity on how new mobility options can achieve wider goals for a vibrant, multimodal city."
Dive Insight:
The 17 cities examined for this survey are Atlanta; Austin, TX; Charlotte, NC; Chicago; Columbus, OH; Dallas; Houston; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Nashville, TN; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Louis; and Washington, DC.
It's important to note that these cities do not all have the same types of dockless programs in place. For example, Washington, DC's program allows both bike-share and scooters whereas Chicago held a dockless bike-share pilot program this year but currently does not allow scooters. This distinction is important because various cities treat dockless programs differently; some create all-encompassing dockless vehicle legislation while others devise separate governance structures for the different types of devices.
The report says that micromobility options quickly are spreading across the United States and putting in place dockless policies is an important part of program success. Because each city inherently is different and those with dockless programs even vary in which vehicles are allowed, cities can pick and choose which best practices suit them when creating a governance structure.
