September 2023

Over the last few years, micromobility has gone through ups and downs. During the pandemic, cities expanded their bike lane infrastructure, and people embraced micro mobility for recreation and virus-free commuting modes. Post-pandemic, as commuting to work returned, many traditional commuters (e.g. pedestrians and drivers) started to express frustration with the encroachment of these new vehicles on bike/car lanes and sidewalks. Older citizens, in particular, have become fearful of the growing electric bike/moped traffic, especially when these exceed the class two 20 mph limit and bypass expected traffic rules (e.g. not stopping at red lights). While city politicians continue to pass pro-micro mobility ordinances to address congestion and reduce carbon emissions, they must also better manage micromobility growth to ensure citizen safety.

New York City has responded to these dangers through better communication of the rules of the road by vehicle type – see the excellent table from the NYPD. For example, escooters that go 15mph can use bike lanes and do not require a license plate while all mopeds must ride in car lanes and must be DMV registered. But many believe city politicians must do more to ensure all electric vehicles are registered in order to improve enforcement. Many point to Paris, the only major European city to have outlawed shared electric scooters following a popular vote in April 2023 (though private e-scooter use is still allowed) as a model for how to go about regulating electric micromobility even though the vote only attracted a 7.5% turnout of mostly older citizens.

While the most crowded cities are responding to the challenges of micromobility growth, the slow pace of legislative approvals means that cities (including mine, Boston) still resemble a commuting wild west right now. I am constantly perplexed by how food delivery mopeds without license plates can get away with driving over 30 mph in bike lanes, often the wrong way. As these concerned fellow Boston citizens report, where is the enforcement of illegal moped riding?

These disruptions in city commuting could be considered growing pains inherent to any popular disruptive technology. In the early days of the automobile, popular opinion of cars was negative and people marched in the streets when the first child was killed by a driver according to the excellent book, There Are No Accidents by Jessica Singer. As the auto industry matured through vehicle regulations, improved vehicle safety and lower car prices, cars became ubiquitous and the 1.35 million annual fatalities they cause (according to the World Health Organization) have not stopped consumer demand for automobile driving.  

While cars continue to rule the road and will in the future, micromobility needs to be taken more seriously by law makers and traffic enforcers to ensure cities can grow sustainable transportation safely. We need to restore order to the streets now through smart legislation and more consistent enforcement. The mobility and environmental health of our cities depend on this.