Urban Micromobility in Practice: Insights from a Full-Year Analysis of Shared Scooter Use in Tel Aviv

This paper investigates the spatiotemporal patterns and accessibility implications of shared e-scooter use in Tel Aviv, drawing on a complete year (2024) of trip-level data from all licensed providers. Shared micromobility services are often promoted as tools for reducing car dependency and improving urban accessibility, yet their actual usage patterns and equity outcomes remain underexplored, especially outside North America and Western Europe. This study aims to address this gap by integrating over 9 million reconstructed scooter trips with public transport accessibility data, local weather records, and institutional calendar effects. Multivariate regression was applied to quantify temporal and environmental determinants of demand, seasonal-trend decomposition to reveal cyclical usage patterns, and spatial analysis to assess whether scooters extend or reinforce existing mobility hierarchies. Findings indicate that scooter use in Tel Aviv is highly structured, peaking during afternoon hours, dropping during holidays and rain, and reflecting the weekly rhythms of the workweek in Tel Aviv. However, spatial patterns show a strong concentration of usage within already well-connected central areas, with limited activity in low-accessibility zones. These results suggest that shared e-scooters are not currently fulfilling their potential as first- or last-mile connectors; instead, they primarily serve as short-range, intra-core alternatives to walking.

GARUS Ada;  DADASHEV Gabriel;  CIUFFO Biagio;  NAHMIAS-BIRAN Bat-Hen; 

2025-12-17

MDPI AG

JRC143859

2624-6511 (online),   

https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/8/6/207,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC143859,   

10.3390/smartcities8060207 (online),