Environmental Design for Micromobility and Public Transit

Micromobility has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and air pollution, particularly when replacing private vehicle use and working in conjunction with public transit for first- and last-mile travel. The design of the built environment in and around public transit stations plays a key role in the integration of public transit and micromobility. This research presents a case study of rail stations in the San Francisco Bay Area, which are in the operation zone of seven shared micromobility operators. Nineteen stations and their surroundings were surveyed to inventory design features that could enable or constrain use of micromobility for first- and last-mile access. Shared mobility service characteristics, crime records, and connections to underserved communities were also documented. An interactive Bay Area Micromobility Transit ArcGIS map tool was created to aid analysis and provide a useful resource to stakeholders. The map shows layers such as train stations, bike lanes, bike share kiosks, and micromobility operation zones that vary between Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose. Key design solutions were identified based on the findings, including protected bike lanes, increased shared bike and scooter fleet size and service area, and clear signage indicating bike rack parking corral and docking points.