From paper to Practice: Shared micromobility equity policies yield mixed outcomes

• Are US micromobility equity policies associated with different outcomes? • Lime and Bird trip and user data analyzed alongside city and operator interviews. • Equity policies yield mixed outcomes in practice. • Ride discounts, distribution, and text-to-unlock associated with positive outcomes. • City staff and operators observe varied outcomes by program and policy. Existing research documents shared micromobility equity policies currently implemented by US cities. But do equity policies on paper translate to outcomes in practice? This research uses data from two micromobility operators, Bird and Lime, to examine associations between equity policies and travel outcomes in the United States. We pair quantitative trip and user data alongside interviews with seven city and operator staff to identify strategies to engage target populations. We find that equity policies yield mixed outcomes. Policies including discounted rides, distribution requirements, and text-to-unlock are associated with positive equity outcomes. Cash payment policies and policies requiring multilingual access do not have clear links with outcomes. Even where policies are linked to outcomes, however, use of discount rides programs, cash payment, and text-to-unlock, remain low overall. Exceptions in certain US cities suggest potential roles for different policy forms (e.g., free versus percentage discounted trips) and difficult-to-measure program elements such as community outreach and engagement. Alongside quantitative findings, both city staff and operators highlight logistical and financial challenges of implementing micromobility equity policies. Findings offer implications for considering the role of equity requirements amidst a broader backdrop of mobility and policy goals.