Cities are often the silent architects of micromobility failure 🚳👀 A bold statement… But all too often this is the reality. Operators of both public and private systems, advocacy & expert groups and even cities themselves will admit it behind closed doors but in public the finger pointing continues 👉🏻👈🏻 Now this isn’t to say that there aren’t some fantastic examples of innovation in regulation, governance and business models. Undoubtedly there has been significant improvements over the last 1-3 years, especially in the scooter space 🛴 Yet we know need to consolidate the learnings of the past across all #sharedmobility modes to align on what works and what doesn’t to ensure the longevity of industry players and prevent another bubble bursting 🫧 What’s your thoughts on how we change this way of thinking? https://lnkd.in/emH8yeGn
Kelly McGowan
8mo
Good points Tom! I have one perspective I would like to have based on my observation of the industry. I do think that the currently regulatory challenges with cities and municipalies is largely a reaction to the commercial players' posturing for dominance in the early stages of the scooter craze. We all know the story... oversupply of scooters, blocking sidewalks, no slow zones, no parking control, abandoned scooters everywhere, disregard for stakeholder concerns and requests. This was followed by a lot of over promising from commercial players on the capabilities of the technology: Sidewalk detection, tandem riding, GPS accuracy, parking control, etc. that the software, hardware and operations were not ready to deliver. Regulators watched this happen and created a framework to protect themselves. This is not an unusual story and has been repeated in nearly every instance of emmergent technology in a new market space. Hopefully the pendulum has swung as far as it will and we will see a more collaborative and solutions oriented approach from all sides in the coming years. Citizens derserve that!
Tom provided some excellent insights here! Additionally, it's worth noting that micromobility often competes with publicly subsidized transport and benefits from lower VAT in many countries. This discrepancy creates an uneven playing field for the development of new services. Except for a few cases, micromobility requires investment to thrive in cities and urban environments. Encountering cities that believe they have a deeper understanding of micromobility than industry experts is a frequent challenge. One hopes they will quickly adapt and align with our goal of transitioning from car reliance to embracing cycling.
I agree with the article's conclusion. Though I have never encountered point #2: "There must be an electric bike in every station that there is a mechanical bike, when only 33% of the system is electric (you do the maths)." Where is that KPI active? But when I read the headline, I took it to mean micromobility in general, which has not had a perfect runway in NYC. While we stand at the threshold of a new era with congestion pricing approved by the MTA board today (!), pedicabs, which showed so much promise starting in the late 90s as human-scaled transport, remain trapped in a sad circus of non-essential tourist travel consisting primarily of loops in Central Park without legal pedal assist. Meanwhile, apparently larger 4 wheeled pedal assist cargo bikes operating at speeds up to 15 mph (we'll see if this is observed) are coming for your protected bike lanes after news from DOT. Interesting day today in NYC.
Aylene McCallum
8mo
It must all start with building trusting relationships, toning down the posturing (excellent point Kelly!), and sitting down in a room together with the intent to come to an acceptable solution for everyone .... together. Now, for the self-interested side of this post, I also think joining an organization like the Open Mobility Foundation demonstrates oodles of goodwill to the regulators and says that a company is invested in building a product that isn't just about profitability but is also about providing people safe, efficient, affordable, and (insert a community's value here) mobility options. I think OMF, our collaborative and open-source culture, and the data specifications we steward help set the tone for those conversations and give something for both sides to build from.
We’ve been blessed that our community is open to collaboration and cooperation, but too often I have seen these issues strangle systems. To help micromobility flourish, we must not only eliminate onerous requirements of systems, but make our cities comfortable for people to use these services! Robust and safe infrastructure has to be developed and maintained alongside innovative micromobility solutions.
Will Simon 🎗️
8mo
If youre reliant on cities to innovate, youll die waiting.
Greater Minnesota Shared Mobility Program Coordinator at Minnesota Department of Transportation
8moI agree with all of this. I often tell my municipal staff colleagues that you are creating a mobility system to fundamentally change the way your community moves. That requires active partnership invested in the success of your providers. Stop treating it like a hot dog stand concession.