INRIX: Shared Bikes and Scooters Could Replace Nearly 50 Percent of Downtown Vehicle Trips

New INRIX Research ranks the top U.S., U.K. and German cities where micromobility has the most potential

News Release from INRIX

KIRKLAND, Wash. – September 9, 2019 – Micromobility (defined as shared bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters) has the potential to deliver substantial benefits to consumers and businesses around the world, including efficient and cost-effective travel, reduced traffic congestion, decreased emissions and a boost to the local economy.

According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ trip distance estimates, scooters are frequently used for trips between a half-mile and a mile, whereas bike distances are typically between one mile and three miles. Analyzing more than 50 million anonymous car trips, INRIX Research found that 48% of all car trips in the most congested U.S. metro areas are less than three miles (20% > 1 mile, 16% 1-2 miles and 12% 2-3 miles).[1] If a fraction of these vehicle trips were replaced with scooter and bike trips, American cities could reap significant benefits.

Analyzing trillions of anonymous data points from hundreds of millions of connected devices, INRIX ranked the top American, British and German cities where micromobility services have the most potential to reduce vehicle trips.

Ranking the Top 10 U.S. Cities

Honolulu, Hawaii; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Nashville, Tennessee comprise the Top 3 cities with the greatest profile for micromobility to succeed and reduce vehicle trips. These cities also feature warm climates with minimal topographic variation, providing further support for micromobility. The high proportion of short-distance trips – independent of a city’s density or public transit network – highlights the universal potential for shared scooters and bikes. While automobile-centric sunbelt cities like Dallas (ranked 19th) and Phoenix (ranked 23rd) have a lower proportion of 0-1 mile trips (18% and 17%, respectively) compared to denser cities such as Chicago or New York (both 22%), the small variation across all metros indicates the universal suitability for micromobility services.

To review the complete rankings of the Top 25 U.S., Top 5 U.K. and Top 5 German cities primed for micromobility to replace vehicle trips, please visit: Micromobility-Study-2019

SA: Study ranks Honolulu tops in micromobility potential