Shared micromobility on the rise, report says

Despite a 70% decrease in travel across all modes in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shared micromobility ridership in the United States nearly rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, with 112 million trips, according to a report released this month by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).

While COVID-19 upended almost all established mobility patterns, shared micromobility ridership in the country nearly rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, the report notes. 

Over the course of the year, people took 47 million trips on station-based bike share systems, 62.5 million trips on dockless e-scooters, and 2.5 million trips on dockless bikes in the United States — a sharp contrast with 2020, when people took only 65 million trips across all shared micromobility modes.

Bike share, e-scooters and other micromobility systems have become a crucial part of urban transportation networks across the country, with at least half a billion trips on micromobility systems since 2010, according to  the analysis by NACTO.

“Shared bikes and e-scooters are embedded within the day-to-day lives of millions of people,” said Corinne Kisner, executive director of NACTO. “Well-designed micromobility programs mean safer, more sustainable and resilient cities. By redesigning streets, lowering speeds, and prioritizing bikeway projects, local leaders can ensure that the bike and scooter boom continues to gain momentum, connecting people to the opportunities in their cities.”