Photo courtesy of Bike List
A new tool for harnessing the potential of micromobility services like bike- and scooter-sharing, the Micromobility Policy Atlas is a collaboration between the SUMC, the New Urban Mobility alliance (NUMO), and WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (WRI). The searchable database catalogs more than 100 micromobility policies and regulatory frameworks from over two dozen countries, with the goal of equipping decision-makers and researchers with a cross section of management approaches worldwide.
Bike- and scooter-sharing are efficient, affordable, environmentally sound mobility services that enable quick, short trips in urban areas without the need for a car. The policies compiled by the Atlas show how dozens of cities are working to maximize the public value and wide access to these modes while offsetting potential downsides.
The Atlas classifies micromobility policies across nearly a dozen areas of regulation, providing English-language information on guidelines, permits, and laws from local and state/provincial levels dating from the earliest days of the dockless micromobility explosion. Included are operating rules like parking and use of bike lanes; fleet caps, fees, and fares; equity plans and requirements; and data standards and communications guidelines, as well as links to the original policy documents in their native languages.
“The sudden advent of micromobility services caught many cities and public agencies off guard. With this tool, they can quickly analyze and assess how their peers are regulating micromobility and keep up to date with the latest regulatory innovations that others are trying out,” says Harriet Tregoning, NUMO’s director.
“The global scope of the tool lets us share learning and collaborate on solutions,” says SUMC founder and Executive Director Sharon Feigon, “so we can better address global challenges like COVID-19 and climate change.”
The Micromobility Policy Atlas is part of SUMC’s MOD Learning Center, a suite of free tools, information, and documents from the world of shared mobility, and will continue to grow as new policies and analyses are added in coming months.
