A new survey of Bird riders reveals that shared scooters are helping level the micromobility playing field in Atlanta, a city in which nearly 46 percent of respondents identify as female compared to 50.9 percent who identify as male.
Bird notes this is a meaningful new statistic, particularly in light of the fact that, between 2006 and 2015, the Atlanta Metro Area was grappling with a 53 percent increase in collisions between cars and pedestrians/cyclists.
A lack of safe separation from automobiles is often cited as a reason many riders, including many women, opt not to ride bikes and scooters. In fact, in the same Bird survey, 65 percent of respondents indicated that protected bike lanes would encourage them to use scooters more—the single biggest factor influencing that decision.
“I am heartened to see the increased gender balance in scooter riders in Atlanta,” said Sarah Kaufman, associate director at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management. “Women are often harbingers of safe public spaces, and their use of Birds in Atlanta points to successful safety efforts in street and scooter design. The more cities can implement safe infrastructure, the more we’ll see a diversity of users, keep our residents safe, reduce traffic congestion and bring joy into mobility.”
In 2019, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms unveiled a $5 million action plan to increase protected cycling and scooter infrastructure. Complete street overhauls are either completed, underway or scheduled for high-traffic thoroughfares like Cascade Road, Juniper Street and Monroe Drive.
There’s also a proposed $44-million project under consideration that would make Cumberland, the home of Atlanta’s professional baseball team, more bike and scooter friendly (among other things).
In addition to encouraging more sustainable transportation options and helping to significantly narrow the micromobility gender gap, projects like these have an added bonus of promoting local businesses. According to Bird’s survey respondents, nearly seven in 10 Bird riders in Atlanta visited a local business on their most recent trip, with 86% of them reporting that scooter access made them more likely to do so.
