The relationship between operational profitability and social benefits of e-scooters - A case study of first and last-mile connections to public transit using e-scooters
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Examensarbete för masterexamen
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E-scooters are a mobility service mainly used in urban areas for short distances. The
primary purpose of using e-scooters is the fast and reliable aspect. They increase
mobility and can be part of a multi-modal transportation solution. Surveys show that escooters
have both substituting and complimenting effects on the transportation system.
Mostly walking is replaced by e-scooters, followed by either car or public transit.
Around one-third of the people in San Francisco use an e-scooter to connect to public
transit. One concern about free-floating e-scooters is the parking aspect, as
inappropriate parking negatively affects public spaces, authorities, and the passability
of people with disabilities.
The relationship between the operational profitability and social benefits of e-scooters
was studied in this thesis to investigate the effects of using e-scooters as a first and lastmile
connection to public transit. A literature review was conducted to investigate the
users’ behaviour, focusing on the benefits of using e-scooters. The research focused on
a study area in Gothenburg located outside the city centre, lacking access to the trunk
and express public transit network. Computer tools helped investigate and simulate the
first and last-mile connections considering the whole perspective. Data about the
scooter's battery level, location and price were used to analyse the operational
profitability. The goal was to generalise the conclusions to other areas with similar
characteristics as the study area, solving the first and last-mile problem of public transit.
The result shows that e-scooters increase the catchment area of the trunk and express
network compared to walking for five minutes. The entire study area is almost reached
within eight minutes using an e-scooter, but five minutes is optimal for achieving the
highest social benefits and profitability. First and last-mile trips with e-scooters to
public transit are around seven minutes faster than walking but at a higher cost,
considering the whole perspective of trips within Gothenburg’s metropolitan area.
Parking spots and racks help control the parking of e-scooters, and these spots must be
placed within a specific acceptable walking distance, providing easy access to any site.
The result also shows that e-scooters are operationally profitable in the study area.
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Ämne/nyckelord
accessibility, location, catchment, bike, car, area, mobility, mode, parking, reachable area, substitute, travel, trunk and express network, walking distance