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Tag Archive for: micromobility

Why a Bicycle Coalition Supports Scooters — And You Should, Too

September 9, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

For the past three years, CalBike has waged a campaign against bills that would impose unprecedented insurance requirements on shared bikes and scooters. In 2020 and 2021, those bills didn’t make it through the legislature, but AB 371 is on the governor’s desk this year and could be signed into law. However, the bill’s final version only requires shared scooters to carry insurance, not shared bikes, so people have been asking us why we still strongly oppose the bill. 

Here’s why CalBike opposes AB 371. We hope you’ll join us in standing up for micromobility in all its forms, even if you’re firmly on Team Bike.

Pitting bikes vs. e-bikes vs. scooters makes us all losers

Esquire recently ran a hilarious piece about things people historically blamed on bike riding. The list includes everything from appendicitis to declining furniture sales (people were having too much fun riding bikes, so they didn’t need to sit down, apparently) to the dreaded “bike face.” It’s easy to laugh at the hysteria when bikes first became popular, but outrage at people on bikes never really went away, and it surges every time there’s an uptick in bike ridership, as there is now. 

The latest whipping horse is e-bikes, with the same people who bitterly complained about “those crazy bicyclists” now insisting that classic bikes are fine; it’s just those dangerous electric bikes that need to be taken off the road this instant.

Do people on scooters sometimes weave through pedestrians on sidewalks or zoom the wrong way down a bike lane? Yes. Should they do that? Probably not. But scooter riders, like bicyclists, are trying to make their way through a hazardous streetscape that wasn’t designed for them any more than it was for people on bikes. Finding solidarity with people who ride scooters is a more productive approach to help us improve our shared spaces for everyone. 

A scooter rider is one less car and one more resident demanding safe bikeways

Active transportation is not a zero-sum game. The more people who ride scooters, the bigger the constituency we have demanding safe, protected bike lanes. 

Some bicycle purists look down on scooters because they are electric and riders stand rather than pedal. But a scooter is far better than a car: It takes up a fraction of the space, uses a tiny fraction of the energy, can be powered by green electricity, and provides a fun way for people to get around in the fresh air rather than being stuffed into cars and stuck in traffic.

On a summer trip to Seville and Lisbon, a CalBike staffer saw lots of people using shared bikes and scooters. People of all ages rode scooters, over asphalt and cobblestones, including (a favorite moment) a trio in business attire having an impromptu on-scooter meeting. 

If we want to move our communities away from climate-killing and soul-crushing car dependency, scooters are a vital tool, and they deserve our support.

Scooters provide a critical first/last-mile transit line for millions of Californians

Scooters don’t need to be returned to docks, so they provide flexible first/last-mile transportation for millions of California residents. That alone is enough reason to support scooter sharing and oppose AB 371.

AB 371 will make scooters too expensive for people in disadvantaged neighborhoods underserved by transit

AB 371 includes a hefty insurance requirement out of proportion to the potential a scooter rider has to cause damage. Scooter sharing operators already carry liability insurance that covers injuries due to an equipment malfunction (their fault), but AB 371 requires them to have insurance covering the negligent behavior of riders (not their fault): $10,000 for bodily injury and $1,000 for property damage to an assistive device. 

This insurance coverage doesn’t currently exist, and it’s not clear whether operators will be able to obtain it. If they can, they’ll pass the cost along to riders, which could put shared scooters out of the price range of low-income users. 

People who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods are often poorly served by public transit, forcing them to walk long distances, catch multiple buses, or drive. Shared scooters provide a critical first/last-mile link for many people who don’t have good access to other forms of transportation.

In addition, the insurance requirement will likely drive some scooter operators out of California entirely, making this essential micromobility option less available. We need more shared bikes and scooters servicing more communities, not fewer.

AB 371 monetizes injury rather than solving the underlying problem 

The author of AB 371 set out to solve a real problem: Riders sometimes park shared scooters haphazardly. Many don’t stand up on their own, so they tend to fall over, often blocking sidewalks and creating trip and fall hazards, particularly for people with disabilities or who are sight-impaired.

Unfortunately, AB 371 does nothing to solve this problem. It merely monetizes the injuries that someone might suffer if they trip over a scooter and puts money in the pockets of personal injury lawyers. 

A better solution would have been to draft regulations for scooter parking and require operators to work with cities to create better scooter parking options. That would prevent injuries, which is a better outcome.

The bill’s insurance requirement sets a bad precedent that could hurt bikes

The insurance requirement in AB 371 is a slippery slope. If shared scooters need to be insured, what about personal scooters? Should California require people to take out insurance policies to ride a bike? 

AB 371 punches down, hurting vulnerable road users responsible for a tiny fraction of the injuries on our roadways every year. We’d like to see our legislators tackle the vast and growing problem of traffic violence caused by motor vehicles rather than going after scooters today and, perhaps, bikes tomorrow.

Governor Newsom may sign this harmful bill. Send an email today and demand a veto.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/44006449071_58830a130d_z.jpg 427 640 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-09-09 16:03:102022-09-28 13:23:02Why a Bicycle Coalition Supports Scooters — And You Should, Too

Realizing the Potential of Bike and Scooter Sharing Systems

February 28, 2022/by Laura McCamy

Jouke Peutz has split his life between the Netherlands and California. He loves living in the U.S., but his Dutch childhood instilled a deep love of biking. He’s pursuing that passion for biking, in collaboration with CalBike, with a research project to develop best practices and a general framework to improve the partnership between the public and private sector to aid disadvantaged communities through micromobility.

CalBike advocates for the inclusion of shared micromobility in public transportation systems. That will ensure that the cost remains affordable, that micromobility programs serve all neighborhoods equitably, and that there are cohesive support platforms and incentives for users. Jouke’s research will help us make a case for public micromobility.

CalBike collaborates with a researcher inspired by his Dutch biking roots

Jouke Peutz didn’t start a graduate degree in Community Development at UC Davis with a plan to focus on bikes. “I was very set on sticking with buildings since I came from an architecture background,” he says. 

Then he took a class on bicycle infrastructure and design that called him back to a childhood where, he recalls, “I had all my freedom on my bicycle. I learned life lessons on my bicycle. I biked through the rain, the sun. I had a deep connection to my bike.” Now, Jouke says, “My whole research has oriented from looking at buildings to looking at bicycling. The funny thing is that they are very much connected.”

His grandparents still ride, regularly going across the border to Germany on their e-bikes. “The bike is what gives them their freedom, too,” he says. 

He wants to bring that freedom to biking in the U.S., but he recognizes the challenge. “We’re trying to copy things from the Netherlands, but it never really works,” Jouke says. Intersections that “look Dutch” function very differently here because the U.S. has its own bike culture.

How shared micromobility can promote transportation justice in California 

Jouke’s research project is titled “Facilitating market-based micromobility in disadvantaged communities in California,” and will look at how to bridge the gap between government and the private sector to better serve disadvantaged communities. Through a literature review and interviews with key stakeholders, he hopes to answer the question of how California state agencies can develop and coordinate micromobility in partnership with private operators.

Jouke’s research is more than an academic exercise. He sees it as a gateway to improving people’s lives.

“Transportation is a main factor in people’s life success, whether that’s healthwise or economicwise,” he says. “People who don’t live a wealthy lifestyle typically live in communities they get pushed into and they rely on public transportation to get work or groceries.” 

He particularly wants to make sure that people in disadvantaged communities don’t get left behind in the transition away from carbon-based transportation. “What does that mean if you’re told you cannot drive anymore or need to buy an expensive EV?” Jouke says. “That’s where micromobility could play an important role.”

CalBike has helped connect him with stakeholders and supported him in his research. “We’re excited to see what Jouke’s research produces,” says Dave Snyder, CalBike’s Executive Director. “CalBike is focused on transforming the way we view micromobility. Bike sharing shouldn’t be viewed as an elite urban amenity but as an essential public transportation connection. Having evidence to show the benefits of micromobility will help us make that case.”

“The beautiful thing about bicycles is they connect the wealthiest people and the poorest people,” says Jouke. “I do really believe micromobility will be a big part of our future in transportation.”

Bike-share in danger in California

Unfortunately, California is in danger of becoming a state with no bike or scooter sharing. A bill moving through the California Senate, AB 371, would impose an unprecedented insurance requirement on all bike-share operators, including public transit systems and nonprofits. 

Micromobility is the future, and we can’t let this regressive bill stop it before it reaches its full potential. Please email your California Senator today and ask them to vote NO on AB 371. 

Micromobility and much more at the California Bicycle Summit

At the California Bicycle Summit, April 6-9, 2022, in Oakland, we’ll discuss equitable micromobility with Jouke and representatives from companies that provide bike and scooter sharing systems in California. You won’t want to miss that, plus 30 breakout sessions, bike tours, parties, and more. Register today.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/E-bikes.jpg 1365 2048 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2022-02-28 15:56:242022-06-01 17:24:50Realizing the Potential of Bike and Scooter Sharing Systems

AB 371 Could Deal Fatal Blow to Bike/Scooter Sharing

June 8, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATED: July 7, 2021

AB 371 Could Deal Fatal Blow to Bike/Scooter Sharing

Sacramento – The California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) opposes AB 371 by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer that would impose an onerous insurance burden on shared-mobility providers and likely put them out of business across the state. A similar provision was defeated in the 2020 legislature.

The bill is now headed to the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Insurance. 

Dave Snyder, executive director, CalBike:

“Shared bikes and scooters are a critical complement to public transit. We’ve only just begun to see the benefit that we’ll enjoy once we expand these systems and integrate them with transit. Unfortunately, we may never see that future if AB 371 passes. It will place unprecedented insurance requirements on bike- and scooter-share systems that would end this vital last-mile transportation option in California.

Private and Public Micromobility Systems Threatened

The insurance requirement will apply to nonprofit services, like bicycle libraries that lend out bikes on a short-term basis to low-income neighborhood residents, as well as public transit agencies like LA Metro, and private providers like Spin or Bird. It would put them all out of the shared micromobility business and kill this promising low-impact, low-cost transportation mode. This comes just when we need it the most and when bikeshare systems are reporting record ridership.

Update: View our OpEd produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and TransForm.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bike-share-narrow.jpg 481 1024 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2021-06-08 10:00:002021-07-07 08:00:44AB 371 Could Deal Fatal Blow to Bike/Scooter Sharing

Forest Barnes Moves from CalBike to SFMTA

February 10, 2021/by Jared Sanchez

For the past two years, Forest Barnes has led CalBike’s work to bring better biking to the Central Valley. Funded by a Caltrans grant, the project team created a plan to make the planned High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations accessible to people walking and biking, drawing a three-mile radius around each station and proposing a network of great bike lanes and safe crossings to enable people to reach HSR. They also provided assistance to the City of Bakersfield to launch its first bike-share program. Forest has successfully wrapped up that project and is moving on from CalBike to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) as a regulated mobility planner.

Forest’s work while at CalBike will have a lasting impact. His team’s recommendations will vastly improve the safety and comfort of people in disadvantaged neighborhoods near the downtowns of Fresno, Bakersfield, and Merced. 

Importantly, the Central Valley Bikeways Project recommendations relied on a novel tool to analyze how a specific improvement affects the connectivity of destinations throughout the whole city. The tool shows how fixing an intersection at a key chokepoint might be more important to connectivity than a new path at the edge of the city. CalBike plans to promote this type of analysis for future active transportation funding decisions. It’s important for officials to build truly connected, low-stress networks instead of attractive but disconnected paths that don’t help bike riders reach key destinations such as work, school, or shopping.

The project also evaluates bicycle parking options at each of the stations, and proposes an exciting long-distance bicycle route, in conjunction with the construction of the new High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations. Once implemented, these plans will create a connected, low-stress network for residents to get to key destinations in Central Valley communities.

The final element of CalBike’s Central Valley Project, a bike-share system for Bakersfield, was held up by COVID but is currently being finalized. CalBike will continue to work with regional agencies, governmental bodies, and our allies at Bike Bakersfield to bring more safe, active mobility options to Central Valley communities.

Now, as the project comes to a successful close, Forest is moving on. He will join the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) as a regulated mobility planner. Forest will bring his expertise in urban mobility to the management of bike and scooter share systems in San Francisco.

Bringing connected bikeways to Central Valley communities

“I really appreciated getting to serve Bakersfield in particular, as well as the Central Valley,” Forest said. As a Bakersfield native, he was excited to use his active transportation planning skills in service of his hometown. The Central Valley Project also developed bike plans for Fresno and Merced, as well as a long-distance bike route. Forest’s proudest accomplishment, however, was the low-stress bike network plan for Bakersfield. The plan hasn’t been adopted yet, but he hopes it will open the door for a sizable investment in biking and walking in the Central Valley.

“Forest has been an indispensable part of our team, further connecting CalBike to the richness of the Central Valley and leading the expansion of safe biking in the region,” said Jared Sanchez, CalBike Senior Policy Advocate and another member of the Central Valley Project Team. “Forest’s personal connections to Bakersfield helped provide needed nuance to proposing low-stress connected bike networks to the city.“

Asked what he liked best about his time at CalBike, Forest said, “I absolutely appreciated the team most of all. I appreciated being at an advocacy organization.” He plans to stay connected and attend the next California Bicycle Summit. He added, “I feel extremely blessed to have found this job that combined so many of my interests.”

CalBike is excited to continue to work with Forest in his role at SFMTA.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Forest-Barnes-e1557267278951.png 1083 1439 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2021-02-10 20:31:462021-02-10 20:35:54Forest Barnes Moves from CalBike to SFMTA

CalBike Statement on Governor’s Executive Order to Promote Clean Transportation

September 23, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Contact: Dave Snyder, 916-251-9433, dave@calbike.org

Governor’s Executive Order to Promote Clean Transportation Is Weak and Vague on the Most Important Strategies to Address the Climate Crisis

Sacramento, CA—Governor Gavin Newsom today released Executive Order N-79-20,  calling for reduced carbon pollution from the transportation sector. Cars and trucks account for nearly 40% of all greenhouse gases emitted in California. The order gives strong support to electric cars but fails to set goals for reducing dependence on automobiles. California needs much more if we are to have any hope of forestalling a severe climate crisis and worsening poverty. 

The first five of the order’s 12 clauses relate to converting gas-powered vehicles to electric. They set the goal of prohibiting the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and call for various other measures necessary to meet that goal. Other clauses refer to gradual reductions in oil extraction in California.

Only one clause calls for giving Californians better ways to get around than private electric cars. It requires the state’s transportation agencies to “identify near term actions and investment strategies to improve clean transportation.” The order specifies that those strategies should include “supporting bicycle, pedestrian, and micro-mobility options, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities in the State, by incorporating safe and accessible infrastructure into projects where appropriate.” This is too vague and weak at a time when bold action is called for.

Statement from CalBike

“We’ll never solve the climate crisis unless we also address the economic crisis, and we can’t do either without reducing our dependence on cars and trucks. California needs to replace gas-powered cars with electric ones, very quickly, but doing that alone is a recipe for total failure. We need to make it dramatically easier for people to walk, bike, and take transit to reduce greenhouse gases from the transportation sector and still provide affordable mobility, improve health, and create good jobs.” — Dave Snyder, Executive Director, CalBike

This executive order is an important first step for California toward finally taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, where we have made next to no progress toward California’s climate goals. 

Governor Newsom’s order provides specific direction to six state agencies to achieve the important and necessary goal of eliminating sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. It calls for a just transition to a carbon-free transportation sector by emphasizing the creation of good jobs and the improvement of infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. 

However, the order is vague when it comes to the transition away from automobiles to public transit, walking, and biking. This transition is critical, especially for the state’s disadvantaged communities. Public investment in charging stations in disadvantaged communities will not serve the majority of households in these neighborhoods who cannot afford an electric car, even with a subsidy. Nor will such investment in electric cars serve the one-in-three households in low-income communities in the Bay Area, for example, who don’t even have a car.

Reducing the need for cars and trucks is paramount to the successful mitigation of climate change. Reducing car dependence reduces costs for the lowest-income Californians, improves health and safety for everyone, and creates more jobs than other transportation investments. 

The Governor’s order specifically calls out the need to support micro-mobility in disadvantaged communities. Expanding access to public transit by including shared bikes and scooters as part of public transit systems is the key to equitable mobility. CalBike’s work to create the Clean Mobility Options for Disadvantaged Communities program supports this expansion, but much more investment is needed. 

The Governor specifically called on three agencies to improve clean transportation: the California State Transportation Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Transportation Commission. CalBike will work with all three to help define a future where Californians have clean transportation options beyond gridlocked freeways and expensive EVs. As the agencies ‘identify the near term actions” necessary to implement Governor’s order, CalBike will work to ensure they focus on making the improvements needed by those who would bike, walk, or take public transit if given the opportunity.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/44006449071_58830a130d_z.jpg 427 640 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2020-09-23 17:40:212020-09-23 17:41:20CalBike Statement on Governor’s Executive Order to Promote Clean Transportation

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