Whether or not you’re a fan of driving them otherwise you’re aggravated by having to step round them on sidewalks, it seems electrical scooters are right here to remain as a transportation possibility in Seattle.
A latest report by the Seattle Division of Transportation provides a deep dive on who has been collaborating within the metropolis’s scooter share pilot program since October 2020. The report provides figures on which scooters are getting used most, the place riders are headed, why folks selected to make use of scooters, how many individuals are getting damage, and extra.
The Seattle Occasions first reported on the findings on Wednesday.
In response to SDOT’s fast look on the pilot program — which incorporates gadgets from Lime, Hyperlink, Wheels and Spin — 260,000 riders took over 1.4 million scooter journeys from October 2020 via September 2021.
- A median of two,600 scooters have been out there in Seattle on any given day, and that quantity grew steadily over time, reaching a peak of roughly 5,100 scooters final September.
- The most well-liked journey locations are inside the middle of town, with extra concentrated areas across the College District, Fremont, Ballard, and Alki Seaside.
- The commonest motive folks use scooters (and bike share) was for social or leisure functions (43%).
As a part of a survey of motorbike and scooter share riders, SDOT obtained greater than 5,000 responses from individuals who had used scooters.
The various functions for scooter journeys included: commuting (22%); errands (12%); restaurant or bar (15%); buying (6%); social, similar to seeing associates (43%); one thing else (1%).
Security was a number one concern when Seattle first thought-about introducing scooters to metropolis streets. The considered largely helmetless riders mixing with vehicles and buses and pedestrians struck worry in mobility minded watchers of how Seattleites get round city.
In response to SDOT’s report, roughly 11% of complete survey respondents reported experiencing an harm, whereas 2.3% of complete respondents sought medical consideration, and eight% reported an harm however stated they didn’t search medical consideration. Some folks reported being injured however didn’t say whether or not or not they sought medical consideration.
The explanations for reported accidents included not being conscious of modifications within the right-of-way and obstacles like raised pavement, potholes, or particles. Some famous driver inattentiveness and being struck or needing to veer away from these driving too shut.
Obstructed walkways and accessibility for these in wheelchairs or with low imaginative and prescient have additionally been a spotlight and concern for this system.
SDOT says weekly audits of parked scooters are designed to observe how most of the gadgets in circulation are obstructions. The primary quarter of audits in This autumn 2020 confirmed 21% of gadgets as obstructions, and by Q3 2021, the quantity decreased to eight%.
Shared scooters and bikes which might be parked improperly might lead to an extra $20 payment tacked onto a experience. The town is encouraging suppliers to proceed to make use of know-how options and academic efforts to get riders to park correctly.
Using scooters on sidewalks can also be forbidden, however the survey discovered that 22% of individuals made some journeys on the sidewalk, whereas 78% rode in a motorbike lane, in a shared-use path, or on the street, the place scooter driving is allowed.
The rise of scooters has come on the expense of motorbike share in Seattle, the place orange, inexperienced, yellow and purple electrical and pedal-assist bikes was once ubiquitous on metropolis streets. On the finish of 2017, there have been 10,000 dockless bike share bikes scattered throughout Seattle, almost 1 / 4 of all models nationwide.
Now there are two corporations working within the metropolis — Lime and Veo — and scooters are outpacing these fleets. Final September, there have been just below 300,000 scooter journeys in comparison with about 35,000 bike journeys in Seattle.
SDOT is now conducting a aggressive allow utility course of for as much as 4 scooter share corporations in Seattle, whether or not they’re the prevailing operators or new ones.
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