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Environmental Impacts of E-Scooters: A Case Study in the City of Austin
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2021-02-01
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[PDF-2.44 MB]
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Edition:Final February 2019–February 2021
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Abstract:The fourth generation of dockless mobility, which includes dockless bikes and scooters, has been the biggest disruptive force in the bikeshare industry for solving the first-last mile issue of connecting people to/from transit and work or home. High adoption levels combined with little to no regulation regarding usage has raised major concerns for these bikeshare users traveling alongside motorized vehicles. In addition to safety concerns, exposure to traffic related air pollution (TRAP) is an important factor because these users are directly exposed to vehicular exhaust and have an increased breathing rate while riding, making them more vulnerable to harmful air pollution. Vehicles emit complex mixtures of pollutants that contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. These health effects are exacerbated for bikeshare users when commuting next to major arterials because they are exposed for longer periods of time (travel times are longer for bikeshare users than vehicle commuters), and pollutant concentrations tend to peak near roadways. Because these modes are utilized to solve the first-last mile issue, they are often rented during morning and evening peak traffic conditions, further increasing user exposure levels. Thus, the routes taken by users and the time of their commute play a major role in evaluating user exposure to traffic emissions. This study aimed to answer key research questions related to the travel behavior patterns and exposure to TRAP for a sample of e-scooter users in the city of Austin. Travel behavior patterns were evaluated through a geospatial analysis of 3.4 million records of dockless trip data collected in 2018 and a brief survey launched in collaboration with the City of Austin. The analysis highlighted two hot spots—the downtown area and the University of Texas-Austin campus located within city limits—and a peak usage period of 12–7 p.m. The survey found that the majority of e-scooter users were White males with an undergraduate degree and full-time employment. Trip length and connection to a transit stop were the key factors influencing the use of e-scooters. E-scooter user exposure to TRAP was obtained by integrating the spatial-temporal dynamics of pollutant concentrations with the real-time commuting patterns of escooter users. A chain of modeling components involving the estimation of traffic activities, emissions, meteorology, and pollutant dispersion was used to model the pollutant concentrations. The dynamic emission exposure maps highlighted the key hot-spot routes closer to major highways in the downtown area and during midday and evening peak periods.
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