US transportation infrastructure is dominated by the automobile form factor.
Alternative modalities of movement, such as bikes, golf carts, and other
micromobility options, have existed but are decidedly at a lower tier of
importance. Even pedestrian access ways are not overly emphasized in the US
transportation system. This lack of prioritization matches the reality that the
vast majority of people and commerce moves through the motor vehicle
infrastructure, with micromobility sitting in the periphery. Additionally, given
the current lack of commercial applications, there are limited direct fee-based
funding mechanisms connected to micromobility form factors.
Micromobility and the Next Infrastructure Wave discusses how recent
technological innovations in electrification, e-commerce, and autonomy are
enabling a new class of micromobility devices which offer palpable value to
consumers and enable significant commercial applications. Unlike the past, these
micromobility devices now have the scale, commercial funding, and operational
economic value to justify a focused infrastructure effort.