CITY OF PORTLAND BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION 2019 E-Scooter Findings Report September 2020 The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to city programs, services, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommo- City of Portland Bureau of dations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these Transportation (PBOT) services, contact 503-823-5185, City TTY 503-823-6868, Relay Service: 711. COMMISSIONER Chloe Eudaly DIRECTOR Chris Warner PRIMARY AUTHORS Catherine Ciarlo Active Transportation & Safety Division Manager Love Jonson Transportation Demand Management Specialist Jacob Sherman E-Scooter Program Manager CONTRIBUTORS Policy and Planning Eric Hesse Kristin Hull Peter Hurley Mel Krnjaic Art Pearce Parking and Regulatory Dave Benson Matt Erickson Tim Moore Mark Williams Business Services Aubrey Lindstrom Mike McDonald Alta Planning + Design Katie Mangle Jean Crowther, AICP Mike Sellinger Cat Cheng Elizabeth Bisegna Steve Hernandez 1 Preface 00 3 Background & Context 01 5 Congestion & Climate Can e-scooters move people efficiently in a climate-friendly way? 02 13 Equity Can e-scooters meet the needs of historically underserved 03 Portlanders? 31 Safety Can e-scooters move people safely and help us realize Vision Zero? 04 37 What’s Next How will e-scooters fit into Portland’s transportation 05 landscape? 45 2 A mural in downtown Portland pays tribute to George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis, spurring a national and global anti-racism movement, 00 including protests in Portland. Preface June 18, 2020 This report illustrates findings from North American markets, including Across the globe, e-scooter ridership Portland’s 2019-2020 Shared Electric Portland, in December 2019. Lime plummeted and many e-scooter Scooter Pilot. This report was written and Razor tested winter service for companies responded to COVID-19 in early 2020 and focused on data the first time in Portland, reducing by suspending operations in most from the 2019 calendar year. However, their service areas significantly to markets. In Portland, Lime and Bird in early spring 2020, a global focus on the downtown core, which suspended service altogether, while pandemic and resulting disruption left much of the city without e-scoot- Razor significantly reduced its fleet, in economic systems have signifi- er service. In February 2020, Shared and Spin slightly reduced its presence. cantly impacted how much—and Tech closed down operations in As the pandemic began to unfold, how—we travel. At the same time, Portland—its only market—due to PBOT recognized that e-scooters—in recent national unrest over the extreme difficulties securing funding addition to other forms of micro- deaths of Black Americans killed to support and grow its venture. mobility, like Portland’s bike-share by police has demonstrated that Meanwhile, a novel virus would soon system, BIKETOWN—could provide Black and brown Americans are become a global pandemic, reshaping a lifeline for essential trips and safe, unsafe in the public right-of-way. modern life as we know it. In response physically distant outdoor recreation. What follows is a synopsis of recent to COVID-19, travel in Portland ground PBOT determined that micromobility events from both the COVID-19 to a halt in March 2020. On March 12, was an essential service and part- pandemic and the movement Governor Kate Brown closed schools nered with Spin to reduce e-scooter for racial justice that have had statewide and Mayor Ted Wheeler fares by 50% during COVID-19 from a material impact on ridership declared a state of emergency in April 7 to May 31, 2020. PBOT also and the operations of Portland’s Portland, and e-scooter ridership reduced BIKETOWN fares by 50% e-scooter pilot program. dropped 67% the following week. On from April 7 through April 30, 2020. March 23, Governor Brown issued In late 2019, e-scooter companies During this time, e-scooter rider- a stay-at-home order, and e-scoot- were already having difficulty reaching ship slowly began to increase. After er ridership dropped 90% from its profitability, and PBOT saw that hitting a low point in March at about pre-pandemic 2020 level as people market instability and consolida- 1,200 rides per week, e-scooter traveled only to get to essential jobs, tion would shape the micromobility ridership has now almost returned grocery stores, medical appointments, industry in 2020. For example, Bolt to its pre-pandemic level for 2020. or other necessary destinations. had already withdrawn from all its 3 Comparison of 2019 e-scooter activity to 2020 45,000 March 12 March 23 40,000 Governor Kate Governor Kate Brown Brown closes issues a statewide 2019 2019 35,000 schools statewide stay-at-home order and Mayor Ted 2020 30,000 Wheeler declares a April 7 2020 Pre- state of emergency Spin and PBOT offer e-scooter pandemic 25,000 ridership in Portland rides at a 50% discount trend TRIPS 20,000 15,000 10,000 May 30 May 31 2020 PBOT places emergency Spin and 5,000 restrictions on scooter use PBOT end ride due to nighttime protests discount 0 Week of 94 7/3 36 13 51 58 65 43 87 27 11/6 9/11 7/17 7/10 1/17 918 110 7/31 6/12 12/4 6/19 3/13 5/15 131 8/14 4/17 925 102 4/10 7/24 2/14 10/9 124 8/21 2/21 626 522 320 327 529 828 228 424 11/13 12/11 10/16 11/20 11/27 12/18 12/25 1023 10/30 Had the COVID-19 pandemic not tuted service level reductions. In the Black Portlanders made up only occurred, PBOT believes that the weeks following, PBOT tracked the about 3% of respondents of a true low point for ridership would largely peaceful demonstrations for summer 2019 e-scooter user survey, have occurred in January 2020, and racial justice and gradually eliminat- though Portland’s population is PBOT estimates that e-scooter trip ed restrictions on e-scooter opera- about 6% Black, suggesting that volumes in spring 2020 would have tions to return to normal service. Black Portlanders are less likely to approached a similar number of rides use e-scooters. Even if barriers to Though these peaceful demon- to what Portland saw in spring 2019. e-scooter use like affordability and strations have meant temporary access can be overcome, others still More recently, national unrest reductions to mobility options in remain. For example, picking up a over the deaths of George Floyd, downtown Portland, more impor- shared e-scooter in the right-of-way Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, tantly, they have shown how can lead to assumptions of property and more—the most recent Black fundamentally different the theft, and interactions with police Americans to be killed by police experience of Black and brown can escalate to threaten their lives. and vigilantes in a pattern that Americans in the right-of-way is has continued for centuries—has compared to that of white Americans. Mobility will look different for the resulted in protests in Portland that coming months until the threat of Black Portlanders have told PBOT have impacted e-scooter use. COVID-19 dissipates. At the same in Walking While Black focus groups time, many Black and brown Port- On May 30, 2020 PBOT received and in 2018 e-scooter focus groups landers will see using a personal reports that e-scooters had been used that they are not safe walking, riding vehicle as their safest option until the by a small number of actors to vandal- a bike, or waiting for the bus on the threat of racism in the right-of-way is ize property downtown during night- streets in their own neighborhoods. removed, which means white su- time protests. Facing uncertainty from The threat of harassment and premacy is a key barrier to achieving additional protests, PBOT instituted violence by police and the public Portland’s ambitious climate action emergency requirements to restrict means that active transportation and congestion reduction goals. e-scooter use in downtown Portland, can be or feel like an unsafe option E-scooter operations and manage- while continuing to allow it elsewhere for them. For example, people of ment must continue to evolve in around the city. Other mobility service color—particularly trans women of the face of these shifting realities. providers, including TriMet, Portland color—face the prospect of verbal and Streetcar, and BIKETOWN, also insti- physical abuse from other Portland- ers simply for being in public space. 4 01 Background & Context 5 Shared electric scooters first arrived The City of Portland sees both By late 2018, over in the U.S. in 2017. By late 2018, over promise and challenge in this new 100 cities across the country saw mode. E-scooters have potential to 100 CITIES over 85,000 e-scooters in use. In shift trips from single-driver and 2018 alone, riders took 38.5 million single-passenger motor vehicles to trips on e-scooters, in addition a smaller, more efficient, less-pol- to 36.5 million trips taken in sta- luting mode. Realizing this potential 85,000 tion-based bike share systems.1 would advance city goals to reduce E-SCOOTERS in use congestion, reduce climate emis- As Portland’s population grows, traffic sions, and advance equity. However, is increasing, and transportation-re- challenges remain, and the city must lated carbon emissions continue to continue to ensure e-scooters do rise. These trends disproportionately 38.5 not exacerbate existing inequities impact lower-income Portlanders or negatively impact the climate. MILLION TRIPS who must travel longer distances due to gentrification and displacement.