Micromobility

Bicycle and transportation researchers in Nashville, Tenn., are pointing to the growing phenomenon of electric bikes as the Music City develops its multimodal approach to transportation.

Transportation nodes serving as the meeting point for various transportation types are helping to accommodate the many mobility needs of city residents. They also serve as opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate.

Research from Carnegie Mellon University shows how replacing short car trips with bike and scooter trips can lead to less congestion, but local areas need more micromobility infrastructure for this positive outcome.

Work is underway to transform the LTV Coke Works plant in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood into a hub for robotics, AI, life sciences and similar ventures. The work will include a 150,000-square-foot Robotic Innovation Center.

The Curb Data Specification was developed among dozens of leaders from tech, transit, transportation, delivery and other areas to establish a set of common specifications to guide deployment and operation of digital curb management systems.

Based on data that underrepresented youth have better education and employment outcomes when they have reliable access to “out of school time” activities, a project in Kansas City seeks to address transit barriers.

Newly released research points to the need to both electrify the transportation sector and make cities less car dependent if there’s any hope of curtailing the worst effects of climate change.

At a recent Urbanism Next panel discussion, city officials from Boston and Minneapolis discussed mobility hub pilot projects, underscoring how hub locations can also serve as crucial community gathering spots.

After pulling shared e-scooters from Miami streets, the city commission decided during a special meeting to continue the pilot program through early next year, this time with more oversight and regulations.

A new report by StreetLight Data shows the shifting trends in biking travel across major metro areas. In some cities, biking activity has surged about 50 percent, while others have seen declines for one reason or another.

Even smaller transit systems like Valley Regional Transit in Boise, Idaho, are turning to account-based fare payment systems in a push to modernize the transit experience and integrate it with other mobility options.

The Privacy Principles for Mobility Data include seven guiding ideas for the public and private sectors as micromobility options like bikes and scooters become more ubiquitous across U.S. cities.

Plus, facial recognition helps nab a criminal after 15 years on the run, NASA tests 3D printing with moon dust at the International Space Station and Periscope Holdings is acquired for more than $200 million.

Salem, Mass., officials are considering whether to allow electric bikes, noting that a state law forbidding the vehicles was written for license-requiring mopeds years ago rather than the new bikes with small motors.

Pittsburgh has proposed an ordinance to change the city’s traffic rules for those who opt to utilize electric scooters. The rules include an age limit for riding as well as parking restrictions.

The Mobility Data Collaborative, in partnership with the Future of Privacy Forum, has created an assessment tool to help cities and other organizations protect the data collected within the transportation sector.

Pay-by-the-minute electric and hybrid car-share operations are becoming a regular part of the transportation mix in large cities as they seek to expand mobility options and reduce the need for car ownership.

Electric scooters will remain an option for residents of Tuscon, Ariz., after the success of a pilot program. As part of this decision, the city will test out new technology that can detect whether a scooter is on a sidewalk.