Why scooter riders mispark and what to do about it

Policymakers, the media, and the public often view e-scooters as sidewalk clutter. While research suggests that concerns about misparked scooters are overblown, understanding why travelers mispark could inform interventions to increase parking compliance. We surveyed 391 international scooter users and find that few (9%) reported ever misparking, while another 19 percent were unsure. Our findings suggest that riders are largely unfamiliar with local parking regulations; instead, they define parking correctness based on an intuitive concern over impeding access by other travelers. According to respondents, in-app reminders, additional infrastructure, signage, and fines would be the most effective interventions to improve parking compliance.

政策制定者、媒体及公众常将电动滑板车视为人行道上的杂乱之物。尽管研究表明对乱停乱放的担忧被夸大了，但了解旅者为何会乱停，有助于制定干预措施以提升停车规范。我们对391名国际电动滑板车使用者进行了调查，发现其中仅有9%的人表示曾有过乱停行为，另有19%的人表示不确定。我们的研究结果表明，骑手们对当地的停车规定普遍缺乏了解；相反，他们依据直观的担忧，即是否阻碍了他人的通行来定义停车的正确性。根据受访者的意见，应用内提醒、额外的基础设施、标志和罚款将是改善停车规范的最有效干预措施。