With more than 2.1 million rentable bike and scooter rides last year, one thing is clear: Micromobility is here to stay.
Adoption of rentable electric bikes and scooters has accelerated. The City of Atlanta logged more than 2 million trips in 2023, a more than 30% jump from 2022 and the highest ridership level since the pandemic. Atlanta’s demand for fast, convenient, shared transportation alternatives is reflected in the city ranking 5th in the nation for dockless e-scooter rides, according to a new report from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). The trend shows no signs of slowing. Micromobility trips are already up more than 17% this year over last, with more than 1 million miles clocked.
Micromobility has exploded onto the scene as a fun, convenient and often faster way to get around than driving.
What Is Micromobility?
It’s a big word for a range of small, lightweight transportation devices such as bicycles, scooters, hoverboards, onewheels, Segways, unicycles and wheelchairs. Micromobility devices help us get around as well as deliver goods and services to our doorstep. And while they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, they have three main things in common:
- They are lightweight, often under 100 pounds
- They operate at lower speeds, under 30 mph
- They are human-powered or electric
And while they can be individually owned, many cities have embraced rentable pedal/e-bikes and e-scooters, called “shared micromobility.” As the name suggests, micromobility is often used in place of cars for short trips. The North American Bikeshare & Scootershare Association (NABSA) reports that in 2023 the average distance people traveled via shared micromobility was 1.5 miles and the average trip duration was 15 minutes.
These small transportation changes add up. The Atlanta Department of Transportation reports that trips taken between January 2021 and May 2024 add up to more than 8.4 million miles traveled—equaling more than 341 trips around the earth or over 386,000 trips around the entire Beltline. What does this mean for the environment? Reduced traffic congestion and less air and noise pollution. NABSA reports that more than one-third (37%) of micromobility trips replaced car trips in 2023, offsetting about 81 million pounds of CO2 emissions.
Why People Ride
Atlanta has embraced micromobility – and small wonder. Bikes and scooters are a great way to get outside, stay active, meet up and take in all the city has to offer from restaurants and clubs to sports and biking/walking trails – without having to worry about the hassle or cost of parking. Besides socializing and entertainment, people are turning to these devices to overcome barriers to work, mobility and the cost of car ownership, and environmental sustainability.
Accessibility
Micromobility devices have become an important connection to public transportation for people living in underserved communities or who don’t own a car. Lack of affordable housing means that most residents don’t live near where they work and need to find a way to commute to job centers located in areas such as downtown, midtown, Buckhead, and Cumberland Mall. Alternative transportation modes such as shared micromobility can improve access to bus stops and train stations, helping more people safely and seamlessly get to their destination, often referred to as “first/last mile” trips. A survey by NABSA found that 70% of bicycle riders and 16% of scooter riders used shared micromobility to connect to transit. Based on a review of dozens of studies, NABSA also concluded that micromobility use increases with the number of new transit stops, further supporting the use of public transportation.
Equity
Micromobility eliminates many barriers to travel. As a trip mode, it is far more affordable to rent or purchase compared to a car, making it a viable option to far more people — particularly those living inside the more affluent urban core who have more opportunities to use the devices to get to transit stations, jobs, grocery stores and retailers. Researchers found that while most micromobility providers offer equity programs, there is room to grow in terms of reduced-fare programs, adaptive devices for people with disabilities, and making devices more widely available in low-income neighborhoods/communities.
In Atlanta, city officials have established three “equity zones” to ensure devices are distributed to economically and environmentally disadvantaged communities. Lime Access further supports equity and transportation options for everyone by offering discounted rides to eligible riders, including riders on SNAP, WIC, National School Lunch Program, Medicaid, reduced utility bill programs, reduced transit fare programs, Social Security Supplemental Income, federal subsidized housing or Pell Grant recipients.
Convenience
The region’s traffic is known for being challenging and Atlanta’s congestion in particular regularly receives low marks. In 2023, Atlanta ranked among the worst commuter cities in the nation, with one-way commutes of 12.8 miles that took 32 minutes, costing commuters 74 hours a year in lost time. As Atlanta’s population continues to grow, so will traffic. Shared micromobility holds the promise of reducing commute times. A Georgia Tech study found that when Atlanta instated a curfew on the use of rentable scooters and bikes between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. in 2019, the average commute times increased by 10% for recurring evening trips, and travel to sporting events increased by 37%. When the curfew was extended to midnight in 2022, the city saw an increase in ridership by almost 400,000 trips. Officials are exploring further easing restrictions or lifting them entirely by July 2025.
What’s Next?
As Atlanta’s shared micromobility programs grow, the city is taking steps to keep up with challenges that high demand has created in three key areas:
- Accessibility – Public surveys indicate that many people want 24-hour access to devices, especially service industry and third-shift (11 pm to 7 am) workers, who report feeling safer using devices to get around than on foot.
- Safety – Overall safety has improved since Atlanta temporarily banned nighttime rides in 2019 following a string of fatalities. The city is exploring geofencing as an answer to speed restrictions, no ride zones (around major events, busy sidewalks, etc.) and no parking zones.
- Parking – To reduce clutter and sidewalk hazards, the city has implemented micromobility parking corrals as well as designated on street parking areas for bikes/scooters.
To learn more about how micromobility can help your employees find convenient, accessible and sustainable alternatives to driving alone, you might also enjoy reading What Every Employee Needs to Know About Micromobility
Georgia Commute Options—a program made possible by the Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Department of Transportation—works with employers at no cost to develop commuter programs that move the needle on air quality in the Atlanta region. Let’s discuss how we can help.