We at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, (SVBC) have spent decades beating on the pro-bike drum. Yet for all our noise-making, ridership levels are not what they should be. In San Jose, a little over 1% of folks ride, in Menlo Park, 6%, and in Palo Alto, 9%.

And while we in the bike movement have been focused on bikes, the escooter and micromobility have arrived, eclipsing the growth in bike share ridership and amazing us all with their rapid uptake. It appears there is a vast swath of people who are more likely to hop on a scooter than a bike. (We’re trying not to take it personally as there could be a number of very sensible reasons, like you don’t get sweaty on a scooter.)

One question this sparks is how could or should the scooter revolution impact a bike coalition? Is the advent of escooters and micromobility a good thing for bike advocacy?

On the whole, we at the Bike Coalition think yes. SVBC was founded with a deep commitment to the environment. The stated purpose of the articles of incorporation is “to promote the use of the bicycle for transportation, both alone and combined with other modes of transportation, with the goal of minimizing the adverse impacts of the transportation system on the environment.”

The environmental footprint of the car – including manufacturing, fuel production/consumption, plus the ultimate problem of how to dispose of a car when it has reached the end of its life - is huge. One fifth of the emissions that cause global warming are attributed to cars. Bikes and scooters, in comparison, are much cleaner.

As SVBC evolves, grows and works to create a powerful pro-bike constituency, we are grappling with the role of scooters in what has been our space: Safe bike lanes. We have fought for space on the streets and for some, the prospect of sharing that space causes alarm. Some believe scooters aren’t “clean” or “green” enough. Some, are concerned about the ad hoc nature in which scooters are left strewn on sidewalks. And some look at this new transportation option and ask questions about equity, that if we allow the use of public space, (like sidewalks for parking scooters similar to curbside parking for cars), we should understand who might be advantaged with that public give away. These issues need to be addressed as cities continue to adapt, regulate and plan for a changing transportation ecosystem. SVBC plans to continue to be a part of that conversation.

With that in mind, there is also a great synergy between the needs of scooter users and people who ride bicycles, (and many of us do both). These two constituencies, aligned, could create a more powerful group of advocates for more and safe space for human-scale transportation options.

SVBC would love to hear from you, your thoughts about how a bike coalition should view scooters as a part of the movement for better bike infrastructure. Please take a moment to fill out the survey as SVBC continues to create a better community, economy and environment through the bicycle. You can take the survey here.