Whether you’re a fan of riding them or you’re aggravated by having to step around them on sidewalks, it appears electric scooters are here to stay as a transportation option in Seattle.
A recent report by the Seattle Department of Transportation offers a deep dive on who has been participating in the city’s scooter share pilot program since October 2020. The report offers figures on which scooters are being used most, where riders are headed, why people chose to use scooters, how many people are getting hurt, and more.
The Seattle Times first reported on the findings on Wednesday.
According to SDOT’s quick glance at the pilot program — which includes devices from Lime, Link, Wheels and Spin — 260,000 riders took over 1.4 million scooter trips from October 2020 through September 2021.
- An average of 2,600 scooters were available in Seattle on any given day, and that number grew steadily over time, reaching a peak of roughly 5,100 scooters last September.
- The most popular trip destinations are within the center of the city, with additional concentrated areas around the University District, Fremont, Ballard, and Alki Beach.
- The most common reason people use scooters (and bike share) was for social or recreational purposes (43%).
As part of a survey of bike and scooter share riders, SDOT received more than 5,000 responses from people who had used scooters.
The varied purposes for scooter trips included: commuting (22%); errands (12%); restaurant or bar (15%); shopping (6%); social, such as seeing friends (43%); something else (1%).
Safety was a leading concern when Seattle first considered introducing scooters to city streets. The thought of mostly helmetless riders mixing with cars and buses and pedestrians struck fear in mobility minded watchers of how Seattleites get around town.
According to SDOT’s report, approximately 11% of total survey respondents reported experiencing an injury, while 2.3% of total respondents sought medical attention, and 8% reported an injury but said they did not seek medical attention. Some people reported being injured but did not say whether or not they sought medical attention.
The reasons for reported injuries included not being aware of changes in the right-of-way and obstacles like raised pavement, potholes, or debris. Some noted driver inattentiveness and being struck or needing to veer away from those driving too close.
Obstructed walkways and accessibility for those in wheelchairs or with low vision have also been a focus and concern for the program.
SDOT says weekly audits of parked scooters are designed to monitor how many of the devices in circulation are obstructions. The first quarter of audits in Q4 2020 showed 21% of devices as obstructions, and by Q3 2021, the number decreased to 8%.
Shared scooters and bikes that are parked improperly could result in an additional $20 fee tacked onto a ride. The city is encouraging providers to continue to use technology solutions and educational efforts to get riders to park properly.
Riding scooters on sidewalks is also forbidden, but the survey found that 22% of people made some trips on the sidewalk, while 78% rode in a bike lane, in a shared-use path, or in the street, where scooter riding is allowed.
The rise of scooters has come at the expense of bike share in Seattle, where orange, green, yellow and red electric and pedal-assist bikes used to be ubiquitous on city streets. At the end of 2017, there were 10,000 dockless bike share bikes scattered across Seattle, nearly a quarter of all units nationwide.
Now there are two companies operating in the city — Lime and Veo — and scooters are outpacing those fleets. Last September, there were just under 300,000 scooter trips compared to about 35,000 bike trips in Seattle.
SDOT is now conducting a competitive permit application process for up to four scooter share companies in Seattle, whether they are the existing operators or new ones.
