Using New Mobility Data, Populus Platform Finds Dockless Program Is Expanding Transportation
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. November 15, 2018 — A new analysis of shared bike and scooter data by the mobility platform Populus has found that these popular new services in Washington, D.C. are expanding transportation options for minority and low-income groups.
Using their advanced mobility data platform for cities, the Populus team evaluated data provided to the District of Department of Transportation (DDOT) by shared bike and scooter operators, including Lime, Bird, JUMP, and Spin. The new analysis finds that the new dockless bikes and scooters provide more coverage in low-income neighborhoods than the existing bikeshare system, and that African-American residents of D.C. are 2.6 times more likely to have used the new services over existing systems, largely driven by the arrival of electric scooters.
Populus, the first mobility data platform to provide insights on shared bikes and scooters, is currently used by cities from coast to coast to evaluate and plan for new mobility solutions, such as shared electric scooters, bikes, and vehicles. Their secure, third-party data platform takes in real-time data from these private mobility operators to provide cities with the tools they need to develop informed policies and plan for new infrastructure such as bike (or scooter) parking areas and new bike/scooter lanes.
“As new mobility services continue to expand, cities need access to better information for policy and planning. Populus is a leader in delivering shared mobility data to cities to evaluate how new services are being used and to plan for the future,” says Don MacKenzie, an engineering professor at the University of Washington and expert on shared mobility.
The Populus platform is being used by D.C.’s neighbor, the County of Arlington, to evaluate their dockless bikeshare and electric scooter program, as well as the City of Seattle, to help them evaluate the impacts of shared mobility services.
“Transportation in cities is rapidly changing,” said Regina Clewlow, CEO and Co-Founder of Populus. “Through increased transparency and data-sharing by bike and scooter operators, cities can work collaboratively with them to improve the safety, equity, and efficiency of these new services - now and into the future.”
For further information about the study and to download a copy of the report please visit: http://www.populus.ai/resources
About Populus
Populus helps cities and private mobility providers deliver safe, efficient, and equitable streets through better data and analytics. Founded by transportation PhDs from MIT and UC Berkeley who are leading experts on shared mobility and the future of transportation, the Populus team combines over 30 years of experience building software for cities and facilitating partnerships between the public sector and private mobility operators. Populus is headquartered in San Francisco, California.