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  • November 2022
  • Article
  • Nature Energy

Impacts of Micromobility on Car Displacement with Evidence from a Natural Experiment and Geofencing Policy

By: Omar Isaac Asensio, Camila Apablaza, M. Cade Lawson, Edward W Chen and Savannah J Horner
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:9
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Abstract

Micromobility, such as electric scooters and electric bikes—an estimated US$300 billion global market by 2030—will accelerate electrification efforts and fundamentally change urban mobility patterns. However, the impacts of micromobility adoption on traffic congestion and sustainability remain unclear. Here we leverage advances in mobile geofencing and high-resolution data to study the effects of a policy intervention, which unexpectedly banned the use of scooters during evening hours with remote shutdown, guaranteeing near perfect compliance. We test theories of habit discontinuity to provide statistical identification for whether micromobility users substitute scooters for cars. Evidence from a natural experiment in a major US city shows increases in travel time of 9–11% for daily commuting and 37% for large events. Given the growing popularity of restrictions on the use of micromobility devices globally, cities should expect to see trade-offs between micromobility restrictions designed to promote public safety and increased emissions associated with heightened congestion.

Keywords

City; Policy; Transportation; Sustainable Cities

Citation

Asensio, Omar Isaac, Camila Apablaza, M. Cade Lawson, Edward W Chen, and Savannah J Horner. "Impacts of Micromobility on Car Displacement with Evidence from a Natural Experiment and Geofencing Policy." Nature Energy 7, no. 11 (November 2022): 1100–1108.
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More from the Authors

    • May 2024
    • Nature Sustainability

    Housing Policies and Energy Efficiency Spillovers in Low and Moderate Income Communities

    By: Omar Isaac Asensio, Olga Churkina, Becky D. Rafter and Kira E O'Hare
    • June 2020
    • Nature Sustainability

    Real-time Data from Mobile Platforms to Evaluate Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure

    By: Omar Isaac Asensio, Kevin Alvarez, Arielle Dror, Emerson Wenzel, Catharina Hollauer and Sooji Ha
    • March 1, 2022
    • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

    Widespread Use of National Academies Consensus Reports by the American Public

    By: Diana Hicks, Matteo Zullo, Ameet Doshi and Omar Isaac Asensio
More from the Authors
  • Housing Policies and Energy Efficiency Spillovers in Low and Moderate Income Communities By: Omar Isaac Asensio, Olga Churkina, Becky D. Rafter and Kira E O'Hare
  • Real-time Data from Mobile Platforms to Evaluate Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure By: Omar Isaac Asensio, Kevin Alvarez, Arielle Dror, Emerson Wenzel, Catharina Hollauer and Sooji Ha
  • Widespread Use of National Academies Consensus Reports by the American Public By: Diana Hicks, Matteo Zullo, Ameet Doshi and Omar Isaac Asensio
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