Legislation is being considered in California that would effectively block aspects of city or state control concerning shared- and micro-mobility, including requirements for data to be provided back to cities.
Assembly bill 1112 (AB 1112) could stop cities’ ability to ensure micro-mobility access in underprivileged communities, establish caps on the total number of vehicles, or collect trip information to better transportation policy.
It would prevent local micro-mobility regulations “requiring operation below cost”, which could stop cities from pursuing equity goals.
“If cities do not strongly encourage micro-mobility companies to provide equitable access, it is likely that citizens in less affluent areas would have a harder time finding a ride,” David Zipper, a visiting fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
2018 saw the introduction of Bird scooters and dockless e-bikes to the boardwalk in Santa Monica, California among other innovations.
“The fast increase of mobility devices did not leave much time to analyse, strategise or reflect on the impact that schemes would have on the the complex urban fabric,” added Zipper.
Cities are beginning to take a more proactive approach to issuing permits for mobility providers by requiring data to be shared in a common format that can be used for oversight, regulation and public safety.
Francois-joseph Van Audenhove, partner with Arthur D. Little, believes that cities have the opportunity to find and implement a middle ground with regards to the adoption of e-scooters and micro-mobility.
According to Van Audenhove, the right balance needs to be found between framing and enabling new offers and providers – including regulation, fees, pricing, insurance, geofencing and monitoring.
Uber, Bird and Lyft have signed a letter of support for AB 1112.
