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Study: How much traffic would be increased if e-bikes were banned?

    A study published in October in the scientific journal Nature Energy delved into the specific impact of urban traffic and travel times in the context of banning micro-vehicles such as e-bikes. The results accurately document how much traffic has increased as people reuse private cars instead of smaller, more city-friendly vehicles.

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    The study, titled "The Impact of Micromobility on Car Displacement and Evidence from Nature Experiments and Geofencing Policy," was conducted using data collected in Atlanta. The study was made possible by the city's sudden ban on the use of micro-mobile devices at night. The ban provides a unique opportunity to compare traffic levels and travel times before and after policy changes. The ban limits the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in the city between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. The study's authors used Uber Movement's high-resolution data to measure changes in night travel times before and after the policy's implementation, creating an objective window of analysis in the absence of e-bikes and e-scooters in the context of night use.



    The study found that after banning shared micromobility, Atlanta increased the time spent traveling by car at night increased by an average of 9.9-10.7%. For the average Atlanta commuter, that means spending an extra 2-5 minutes on the road each night. The authors also concluded that implementing the same policy in other U.S. cities could have a higher impact on commute times. According to the study, based on data on an average commute time of 27.6 minutes in the United States, this natural experiment showed a 17.4% increase in commuting times nationwide with restrictions on electric transportation travel at night.


    The study also looked at travel times before and after the event, focusing on major sporting events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The ban coincided with Major League Soccer season, and given the greater concentration of travel patterns during sporting events, we can expect a greater congestion effect than we often do with mobility estimates. The final study showed that travel time per mile increased by 0.886 minutes (S.E 0.169) during soccer match days. For a resident who lives 13 miles from the stadium, the ban adds 11.9 minutes, or 36.5 percent, to his return time.



    The study also considered the economic impact of increased traffic congestion and travel times. As the authors explain, while a 2- to 5-minute delay for an evening commute and a 12-minute delay for a special event may seem like a minor issue, the cost of extra travel time can quickly add up in a large commuter population. The economic impact of these additional travel time for these few minutes is calculated to be $4.9 million for the city of Atlanta and between $408 million and $573 million at the national level.

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    In fact, it is time for infrastructure to start catching up with the development of micromobility. Rather than banning, a better direction should be to open safer roads and separate lanes to increase the travel safety of e-bikes. In a city like Atlanta, one of the big barriers to using bike lanes is that commuting by bike in the South is a sweaty and potentially dangerous affair, but electric bike motors can effectively reduce consumption and make it easier to keep up with traffic. Encouraging the use of micro-mobility vehicles such as e-bikes should be seen as an effective and fund-worthy transportation strategy.

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2022-12-09 11:00:38

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