Shift Magazine - June 3, 2019 - 18

TER

SHOWDOWN

Data could help cities plan transit landscape,
but companies fear restrictions
BY PETE BIGELOW

cooters have become a common sight in cities across
the country, and they're still enduring some growing
pains. Sometimes, they're left strewn across sidewalks. Users aren't always sure whether to ride them
on those sidewalks or in the streets, and that uncertainty can
create angst among riders, motorists and pedestrians. But
those aren't the only points of contention. There's also a battle
brewing over data.
As scooters reached the streets and sidewalks en masse over
the last year, city officials have sought data from the companies
that run them to better understand how these micromobility
devices are reshaping transportation. They're seeking - and, in
many cases, requiring - data on the starting and ending points
of individual trips, vehicle utilization, parking spots and battery
charge.
Scooter companies are pushing back. In California, they're supporting a bill making its way through the Legislature that would
hinder the ability of cities to collect data on these scooter trips,
instead shifting much of that responsibility to the state level.
While Assembly Bill 1112 references only shared mobility
devices, there's concern from city officials and urban planners
that the precedent could be extended to other modes of current
and future transportation - ride-hailing vehicles, self-driving
shuttles and drones, to name a few. It wouldn't be surprising if
similar legislation soon sprouts in other states. Bill 1112 will be
an early litmus test.
"What concerns me with this bill is that it mirrors the tactics
used by the ride-hailing firms years ago, when they tried to railroad cities rather than work with them," said Brooks Rainwater,
director of the National League of Cities' city solutions division.
"I don't think the state level is where we should be making decisions on local mobility. These companies are working in the
urban marketplace, not state capitals."

If the approach conjures memories of the acrimonious entry
into the marketplace wrought by ride-hailing companies that
sometimes worked to circumvent city regulations, it may be
because those same companies are heavily involved in the
nascent scooter industry. Lyft offers Lyft Scooters, while Uber
owns scooter brand Jump. Bird, another scooter brand, was
founded by former Uber and Lyft executive Travis VanderZanden.
Collectively, two dozen organizations, including Bird, Lyft,
Uber and Jump, have offered their support for the California
proposal. A letter signed by those companies says the legislation would help riders avoid a patchwork of local scooter-related
ordinances that might make it difficult for them to understand
whether they're in compliance.
Further, they say the bill provides a protocol for sharing "relevant data with local authorities" while not mandating any "unduly
restrictive requirements on a provider, including requiring operation below cost or requiring providers to pay unreasonable fees."

WHAT'S RELEVANT?

Sticking points abound. Exactly what data is relevant remains in
the eye of the beholder. Though trip data can be anonymized,
cities still want information on individual trips, which can help
them understand when scooters are being used, which locations riders are traveling between, how scooters might complement other transit options and where scooter parking might be
warranted.
"The type of data that cities are able to access ... is fundamental to today's transportation policy and planning," said Regina
Clewlow, CEO of Populus, a San Francisco startup that provides
a third-party data platform that serves as a conduit between
scooter companies and city transportation departments. "Cities
need this information to make streets safer, cleaner and less
congested."

Shift Magazine - June 3, 2019

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