Scooting when the metro arrives - Estimating the impact of public transport stations on shared e-scooter demand

Abstract

Shared e-scooters are expected to improve urban mobility accessibility while reducing negative effects of transport. However, with many recent studies on usage patterns and user behavior, the relation to public transport and the question whether shared e-scooter are a substitute or a complement is still in debate. Hence, this paper aims to add evidence in this regard by estimating the impact of changes in public transport infrastructure on shared e-scooter demand using the extension of a metro line in Berlin, Germany as quasi-experiment. By applying a difference-in-differences style model on shared e-scooter trip data, changes in demand at new opened stations and closed stations as well as for rentals starting and rentals ending around these public transport stations are estimated. The results clearly show an increase in demand at newly opened stations while demand significantly decreases when a station is closed. This is true for both, starting and ending shared e-scooter trips. Consequently, it can be concluded that public transport acts as complement for shared e-scooters.