Why cities must integrate micromobility into existing systems
Survey across 23 cities in 10 countries by Boston Consulting Group and University of St Gallen reveals that only one in five consumers plan to use micromobility for their commute to work.
Micromobility holds great promise for cities but only if integrated into their current transportation landscape, a new survey finds.
Management consultancy firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the University of St Gallen in Switzerland surveyed 11,000 consumers across 23 cities in 10 countries and found only one in five consumers plan to use micromobility for their commute to work.
Urban mobility options
A report on the findings, Putting Micromobility at the Centre of Urban Mobility, examines consumers’ views and usage patterns for micromobility vehicles, including bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-mopeds, and analyses the incentives and deterrents to broader adoption.
As cities worldwide grapple with the impact of increasing vehicular traffic, micromobility has the potential to reduce congestion and pollution, while offering accessible, convenient, and affordable forms of transportation. But, according to the survey, micromobility can only fully realise its potential if it is designed as part of an overall intermodal transportation system.
“Apart from the weather, the biggest barriers to increased use of micromobility include cost, insecure bike lane networks, inadequate connections, and limited suburban services”
During the pandemic, many people saw micromobility as a safer alternative to public transportation. The recent spike in fuel prices is also increasing the attractiveness. The size of the global micromobility market – including bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-mopeds and covering the owned, shared, and subscription segments – has already reached almost €100bn. Although ownership is the biggest segment by volume, subscriptions are the fastest-growing category, with CAGR projected to exceed 30 per cent over the next decade, the report forecasts.
Yet, despite these impacts and its growth rate, micromobility has in many places not yet advanced from being a fad to becoming a mainstream form of transportation.
“Apart from the weather, the biggest barriers to increased use of micromobility include cost, insecure bike lane networks, inadequate connections, and limited suburban services,” said Nikolaus Lang, a BCG managing director and senior partner, and co-author of the analysis article.
The survey revealed that offering bundled options – micromobility transportation options with public transit – could likely increase use considerably. Consumers surveyed indicated that they would be willing to pay 22 per cent to 25 per cent more (a weighted average increase) for different bundled offerings.
Co-author Andreas Herrmann, director of the Institute for Mobility at the University of St Gallen, said: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for Amsterdam won’t necessarily be right for Boston or Berlin. Moving micromobility to the mainstream over the next few years requires city planners and micromobility operators to work together to create the right incentives.”
At scale, not all micromobility modes deliver equal benefit, and promoting micromobility without considering the totality of impacts can have a negative effect on the environment. “Integration is key, and technology and understanding usage patterns will be at the heart of this,” added Herrmann.
A copy of the survey report can be downloaded here Putting Micromobility at the Centre of Urban Mobility.
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