New tool to help councils plan their micromobility schemes

A new software tool has been developed to help local authorities understand which micromobility scheme is right for their area.

Micromobility Planner has been developed by Momentum Transport Consultancy and Spatial Design Hub, with funding from the Department for Transport, to give councils insight to potential micromobility schemes and inform the deployment or extension of existing schemes.

The online tool  is available in three subscription levels, the most basic of which will offer insights into ridership and decarbonisation potential, and visualise model inputs. Among other things, Level 3 offers scheme potential insights, specific location insights and parking management.

The tool uses census data and geospatial analytics to identify areas of high demand, helping local authorities deploy resources and micromobility services so they maximise ridership potential, reduce carbon emissions. It can be used to determine the most suitable areas to start a new scheme, or to extend an existing one.

It can also calculate parking density and accessibility requirements, allowing towns and cities to decide how much micromobility parking space to provide and where to locate it, to avoid challenges such as pavement clutter.

Local authorities can use it to model different scenarios to optimise docked and dockless bike schemes, eScooters and other shared micromobility systems.

• Sustainability alignment: The software integrates metrics to support cities’ sustainability and carbon-neutral goals.

Steve Hands, Transport Planner and Shared Micromobility Lead at Camden Council said: ‘Micromobility Planner would be particularly helpful to boroughs starting their micromobility journey. It provides valuable data to help with scheme planning and inform conversations with micromobility operators. In our experience, it’s essential to put parking zones in the right places to ensure all areas have access to these transport options and the zones meet local demand.’

Will Durden, managing director at Momentum said: ‘Local authorities are under pressure to reduce carbon emissions, promote sustainable transport and manage traffic congestion – and well-designed shared micromobility schemes, such as eBikes and eScooters, have great potential to redefine how people move around our towns and cities. But their integration comes with challenges.

‘We have already seen several micromobility trials ending and being removed across the UK, and in large part we believe this is down to a lack of data, information and strategic exchange on questions such as fleet size, where micromobility hubs and parking locations should be placed and how many are needed to optimise their effectiveness.’

‘Local authorities currently have no choice but to rely on information from operators or to commission bespoke studies, both of which can be expensive. For a monthly subscription Micromobility Planner puts independent evidence at the fingertips of all local authorities in the UK and Ireland for the very first time, allowing them to take strategic, data-driven decisions on how micromobility can plug into their local transport networks most effectively.’