A multi-criteria approach to prioritize electric-scooters ordinances. A case of Bloomington City, Indiana

Abstract

Shared electric scooters have recently emerged as an alternative mode of transportation in many cities around the globe. However, they can become a nuisance to residents when they are not well regulated. The approaches to prioritizing laws and regulations of shared electric scooters have not been explored extensively. Therefore, this study presented a multi-criteria approach for prioritizing electric scooter ordinances using Bloomington, Indiana's survey data. The study applied a descriptive analysis, text mining, and logistic regression on 1,891 responses. The responses were based on a questionnaire with 13 predefined ordinances and an additional comment section. The three criteria- the frequency of selection of ordinances, the sequence of selection of ordinances, and the ordinances associated with additional comments were used. Results revealed a great variation in the priorities of the ordinances when the three criteria are used. The frequency of selection criteria would highly favor the ordinance related to enforcing scooter riders to follow traffic laws, while both sequence of selection and additional comments would favor prohibiting scooters from the sidewalks. The policy implications of the multi-criteria and individual criteria are also presented. It is expected that jurisdictions would apply the approach presented in this study and the associated proposed alternatives when prioritizing the ordinances for electric scooters.