Gender split and safety behavior of cyclists and e-scooter users in Asbury Park, NJ

Micromobility usage has increased significantly in the last several years as exemplified by shared e-scooters and privately owned bicycles. In this study, the authors use traffic camera footage to observe the behavior of over 700 shared e-scooters and privately owned bicycles in Asbury Park, New Jersey. They address the following questions: (1) What are the behavioral differences between bicycle and e-scooter usage in terms of helmet use, bike lane / sidewalk use, gender split, group riding, and by time of day? (2) Are more protective conditions associated with helmet use and bike lane / sidewalk use? And (3) what is the gender split between e-scooter users and cyclists? The authors find notable differences in safety precautions: around one third of cyclists but no shared e-scooter users were observed wearing a helmet. Among cyclists, helmet use was more prominent among men than women. However, men were more likely to ride on the road than women. The authors also found that the gender split was narrower among e-scooter users, with a nearly even gender split – as opposed to cyclists, where only 21% of cyclists were observed to be women. The findings suggest that e-scooter users take fewer safety precautions, in that they are less likely to use a bike lane and to wear a helmet. The authors conclude with policy implications with regards to safety and gender differences between these two modes.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2023.101073
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X2300127X
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/2213624X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2023 World Conference on Transport Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Younes, Hannah
  • Noland, Robert B
  • 0000-0003-0775-0624
  • Andrews, Clinton J
  • 0000-0002-2989-8091
• Publication Date: 2023-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 101073
• Serial:
  • Case Studies on Transport Policy
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2213-624X
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/2213624X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Bicycling; Gender; Safety; Scooters
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01895806
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 11 2023 10:35AM