A new study on micromobility – the use of e-scooters and pedal-assisted e-bikes – shows that Greater Boston is positioned as one of the areas nationwide that would most benefit from the widespread introduction of such new transportation systems – and within Boston, no communities would benefit more than Chelsea and Everett.
The study was released late last week by the Micromobility Coalition – a trade association that represents e-scooter and e-bike rental companies. That study focused on access to jobs for residents of several Greater Boston communities, including all of Boston’s neighborhoods, Everett, Chelsea, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville. Using Census data, they looked at jobs available within a typical 45-minute commute on public transit. Then they added e-scooter or e-bikes into that commute and found many communities would greatly benefit.
Without such transportation options, Chelsea residents can access about 297,000 quality jobs within a 45-minute commute. With micromobility added in, that number jumps to 532,000 – a 79 percent difference. The largest gain for all communities was Everett, at a 303 percent increase, but Chelsea was second, and Somerville at a 68 percent increase.
“This is one of a series of studies we’ve done in cities across the United States,” said Micromobility Coalition CEO Ryan McConaghy. “These studies look at the access of mobility options like e-scooters and e-bikes to unlocking economic opportunity…Greater Boston is one city area that could be a prime beneficiary for e-scooters. Around 49 percent of car trips are under three miles. These trips are easily replaced by dockless e-scooters and e-bikes. Boston is the most congested city in America. By moving people out of cars and into e-scooters and other means of transportation, that can change. Boston is uniquely positioned to benefit.”
And, as said above, few places in Greater Boston would benefit more than Chelsea – primarily because of the lack of quality public transit in the City now. McConaghy said one of the greatest time-savers for commuters using micromobility is to bridge the gap for the last mile – such as using e-scooters to get from Admiral’s Hill to the Silver Line, or from Wellington Station to Market Basket, without having to take a slower bus route.
“They might be using them to go directly to a job opportunity, or maybe they are using them to bridge a public transit desert – going the last mile much faster,” he said. “It’s no surprise to us there are significant jumps in opportunity in Boston. In particular, you look at a place like Everett which sees an increase of 300 percent of jobs available. You look at places like Jamaica Plain and Mission Hill where it adds to increasing access to existing transportation. These jumps usually happen in places underserved by public transit and places where there are large transit deserts. Micromobility there can unlock economic opportunity quickly.”
City Manager Tom Ambrosino said e-scooters are prohibited by ordinance right now, and with LimeBike pulling out of the region, he said they are hoping now to contract with BlueBikes.
“It is an interesting study, but Chelsea doesn’t allow e-scooters,” he said. “They are prohibited by Ordinance, but we do allow e-bikes. However, LimeBike has pulled out of the region, and now Chelsea, like a few others, hopes to go to the docked BlueBike system this Spring/Summer.”
Council President Roy Avellaneda said such a study is intriguing to him, and only strengthens his call for a pedestrian, micromobility bridge spanning the Mystic/Tobin Bridge. With that in place, he said there would be even more access for Chelsea residents using bikes or e-scooters.
“For years now I have been lobbying for a marsupial style pedestrian/bike bridge be attached to the existing Tobin Bridge as a way to connect Chelsea, Revere and East Boston with Boston,” he said. “As this study demonstrates, being connected like Everett to Boston via the Rt. 99 Bridge would bring quick access to a tremendous amount of Boston jobs to our residents.”
He said he is still waiting on a study for that pathway.
“MassDOT was supposed to complete the study last month,” he said. “I negotiated for that as part of the Tobin Bridge/Chelsea Curve mitigation package. That will tell us how real that Tobin Bike/Pedestrian option can be. I would argue that spending Chelsea tax dollars on a shared bike program like BlueBike makes much more sense if we have a real connection with Boston that doesn’t involve going along a dangerous truck route and that takes longer than the 45 minutes shown in this study.”
Right now, users can operate e-scooters or e-bikes in most locales if they own them, but the rental companies – such as LimeBike or BlueBike – cannot operate e-scooter/e-bike sharing platforms in the state. While places like Everett, Chelsea Brookline and Boston have tried them out and have prepared for them to come, the state still has not passed legislation that allows them to be rented out like bikes.
Charlie Palleschi was an early convert to e-scooters, and owns one that he uses year-round. As a resident of Charlestown, he said he commutes to Somerville often, goes to downtown Boston, and frequently travels to Chelsea and Revere on his scooter.
“I was blown away when I first tried one in Cambridge as a demo,” he said. “I began to think that if I had one of these, I could commute from my house in Charlestown to Assembly Row in minutes…It totally changes everything on good days – and getting downtown is super easy. I’ve used it a lot to go to Revere, taking the train there and then jumping on the scooter to get to my destination – kind of using it for the last mile. I can even keep it in my office, which is crazy. I just throw it under my desk. You can’t do that with a bike, and certainly not a car or anything else. Going into downtown, parking can be $40 or $50 and this is free.”
He added that the e-scooters are powered by electricity, and his is very easy to charge and runs at about 15 mph on flat terrain.
Added to the practical uses, McConaghy said they are simply a fun way to get to work or any other destination, “They really are a fun experience because on a nice day you’re outside and the wind is going through your hair under your helmet. It is just a fun way to get around.”