Micromobility, E-Bikes, and Cargo Bikes

Micromobility is on the rise. Due to the increasing popularity of these lightweight, usually single-person vehicles, planners need to meet demand by rethinking bike plans, street and sidewalk management plans, bikeway design, and "first-mile/last-mile" policies. Yet micromobility brings challenges, as noted in PAS QuickNotes 86, "Managing Shared-Use Micromobility." Road bumps have included Paris banning electric scooters and e-scooter company Bird filing for bankruptcy in 2023 (though it has since relaunched). But electric bikes are still booming in the U.S. and across the globe. Financial incentives, such as e-bike rebate programs in Connecticut and Denver, are expanding.

Cargo bikes are also a growing trend. European cities, including Vienna and Copenhagen, have been deploying cargo bike programs for years, and U.S. programs have been launched in Madison, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; and Boston. However, as cargo bikes are bigger than conventional bikes and e-vehicles tend to be faster than non-electric ones, planners will need to consider street and bike-lane design to accommodate all micromobility users safely and efficiently.