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I can see that. One need only look at traffic when raining and people revert to drier methods of transport. In cambridge MA those electric scooters are quite

I can see that. One need only look at traffic when raining and people revert to drier methods of transport. In cambridge MA those electric scooters are quite everywhere. And they don't know where they should go (they tend to go in the bike lane, which I think is correct, even though they annoy us bikers a bit, I think its the moving fast, but not working at it..). But non electrified scooters are back too, along with the occasional one wheel. Bikes and scotters move you more quickly though certain routes than cars, as you tend to get through each light in just one clycle.

kibwen 4y ago
MA cyclist here, I'm not annoyed by scooters and I'm happy to share the bike lane if it means fewer cars on the road. The only caveat is that with the advent of small electric vehicles we need to start thinking about what an appropriate speed limit is for bike lanes; I'm actually thinking less about scooters than I am about e-bikes, since those can easily reach highway speeds if they're not limited.
- alistairSH 4y ago
  ...if they're not limited... The 3-class system is pretty good for defining e-bikes. But, it's useless for actually enforcing anything. 1 - pedal assist only, 20mph max assist 2 - pedal or throttle, 20mph max 3 - pedal only, 28mph max And anything faster is just an electric motorbike/scooter (and should have tags and a license, etc). I'm fine with sharing bike infrastructure and multi-use paths with class 1&2 e-bikes, e-scooter with similar speed limits, and anything else in the e-mobility space (e-hand-cycles, etc). I'm in the DC suburbs and we get a lot of e-bikes, but so far, they're mostly a mix of expensive Trek/Specialized stuff that older or less-able adults ride for fitness. Or, cheap (Amazon, etc) e-bikes used for transport. And bike lane traffic is light enough that there's no conflict. But, I definitely see the potential problem. A friend just texted me a for-sale listing for a lightweight e-dirt-bike that does 70mph, but from 10' away you'd never know it wasn't a pedal bike at all (looks like a regular downhill race bike).
NoImmatureAdHom 4y ago
We need a lane for cars / trucks, a lane for electric micromobility, and a lane for human-powered vehicle transit (bikes, mostly).
- munk-a 4y ago
  Eh, at this point we could probably do without the lane for cars in anything even vaguely approaching urban density - delivery trucks are fine though.
  - alistairSH 4y ago
    Agree 100%. In a city that's laid out in something close to a grid (DC comes to mind), close every other road to cars. Make them pedestrian and bike/e-bike/mobility only (with distinct lane for walking and lane for bikes/etc). Use any leftover space for trees, plants, park, benches, etc.
spideymans 4y ago
>Bikes and scotters move you more quickly though certain routes than cars, as you tend to get through each light in just one clycle. These small micromobility devices will come to dominate urban city streets over the next decade. These devices typically cost less than $1,500 (a tiny fraction of an automobile), and are significantly faster than driving in city centres. A lot of people will still choose cars for comfort, but the travel time and cost savings of e-mobility are tough to compete against.
heleninboodler 4y ago
> One need only look at traffic when raining and people revert to drier methods of transport. I understand the point you're trying to make but this is a pretty insane way to support it. :D Looking at traffic when raining and concluding that the reason it's worse is because there are more cars, ignoring the fact that people drive more cautiously and have more accidents in the rain, is kind of a leap.

kibwen 4y ago

MA cyclist here, I'm not annoyed by scooters and I'm happy to share the bike lane if it means fewer cars on the road. The only caveat is that with the advent of small electric vehicles we need to start thinking about what an appropriate speed limit is for bike lanes; I'm actually thinking less about scooters than I am about e-bikes, since those can easily reach highway speeds if they're not limited.

alistairSH 4y ago
...if they're not limited... The 3-class system is pretty good for defining e-bikes. But, it's useless for actually enforcing anything. 1 - pedal assist only, 20mph max assist 2 - pedal or throttle, 20mph max 3 - pedal only, 28mph max And anything faster is just an electric motorbike/scooter (and should have tags and a license, etc). I'm fine with sharing bike infrastructure and multi-use paths with class 1&2 e-bikes, e-scooter with similar speed limits, and anything else in the e-mobility space (e-hand-cycles, etc). I'm in the DC suburbs and we get a lot of e-bikes, but so far, they're mostly a mix of expensive Trek/Specialized stuff that older or less-able adults ride for fitness. Or, cheap (Amazon, etc) e-bikes used for transport. And bike lane traffic is light enough that there's no conflict. But, I definitely see the potential problem. A friend just texted me a for-sale listing for a lightweight e-dirt-bike that does 70mph, but from 10' away you'd never know it wasn't a pedal bike at all (looks like a regular downhill race bike).

NoImmatureAdHom 4y ago

We need a lane for cars / trucks, a lane for electric micromobility, and a lane for human-powered vehicle transit (bikes, mostly).

munk-a 4y ago
Eh, at this point we could probably do without the lane for cars in anything even vaguely approaching urban density - delivery trucks are fine though.
- alistairSH 4y ago
  Agree 100%. In a city that's laid out in something close to a grid (DC comes to mind), close every other road to cars. Make them pedestrian and bike/e-bike/mobility only (with distinct lane for walking and lane for bikes/etc). Use any leftover space for trees, plants, park, benches, etc.

spideymans 4y ago

>Bikes and scotters move you more quickly though certain routes than cars, as you tend to get through each light in just one clycle. These small micromobility devices will come to dominate urban city streets over the next decade. These devices typically cost less than $1,500 (a tiny fraction of an automobile), and are significantly faster than driving in city centres. A lot of people will still choose cars for comfort, but the travel time and cost savings of e-mobility are tough to compete against.

heleninboodler 4y ago

> One need only look at traffic when raining and people revert to drier methods of transport. I understand the point you're trying to make but this is a pretty insane way to support it. :D Looking at traffic when raining and concluding that the reason it's worse is because there are more cars, ignoring the fact that people drive more cautiously and have more accidents in the rain, is kind of a leap.