Abstract
E-Scooters are a popular new service that provide last mile transportation, but there are reports of safety concerns for riders and impingement on other users of rights of way. Little formal research has been conducted on E-Scooter safety or the optimal approach to deployment to decrease nuisance issues. To address this, VTTI and Spin deployed a fleet of E-Scooters on the Virginia Tech campus through an exclusive, controlled research program. Through on-scooter data acquisition systems, fixed infrastructure cameras, anecdotal injury reports, and surveys, data was collected to assess safety impact as well as to understand beneficial and problematic user behaviors and patterns for subsequent countermeasure development and deployment recommendations. The resulting naturalistic dataset includes over 9,000 miles of riding data. Overall, the E-Scooter deployment on the Virginia Tech campus was safer than other reported deployments. The operational constraints that were put in place were largely effective, and with the additional results from this study, some additional constraints and expanded outreach programs may make future deployments even safer. The campus community largely considered the deployment of E-Scooters a clean alternative transportation option and viewed the service favorably.
Project Highlights
Coming Soon!
Final Report
EWD & T2 Products
Coming Soon!
Presentations/Publications
Coming Soon!
Research Investigators (PI*)
Mike Mollenhauer (VTTI/VT)*
Elizabeth White (VTTI/VT)
Sarah Robinson (VTTI/VT)
Will Vaughan (VTTI/VT)
Adam Novotny (Student-VTTI/VT)
Project Information
Start Date: 2019-06-03
End Date: 2023-01-31
Status: Complete
Grant Number: 69A3551747115
Total Funding: $467,126
Source Organization: Safe-D National UTC
Project Number: VTTI-00-023
Safe-D Theme Areas
Transportation as a Service
Big Data Analytics
Safe-D Application Areas
Vulnerable Users
Performance Measures
Planning for Safety
Operations and Design
More Information
RiP URL
UTC Project Information Form
Sponsor Organization
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590 United States
Performing Organization
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
3500 Transportation Research Plaza
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
USA