Investigating the use of privately-owned micromobility modes for commuting in four European countries

International audienceMicromobility modes such as scooters, e-scooters, skateboards, or hoverboards has recently emerged as part of the urban landscape. In this paper, we analyze the use of modes of micromobility for commuting. We distinguish between monomodality (commuters using one mode of micromobility only) and multimodality (commuters using micromobility as a complement or substitute to other modes of transport). We apply non-parametric ordered methods to a survey that was conducted in 2018 on mobility users in four European countries. The survey gathered 4,873 observations from commuters in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK). Micromobility commuting is marginal in all four European countries. The sociodemographic characteristics of micromobility commuters are homogeneous and concern mainly male, young, and urban commuters. We find that travel habits account for a large share of the variability explained by the model. Germany has a low level of multimodality, whereas the UK practices complementarity-oriented multimodal commuting. Overall, our results bring new insights showing that micromobility is used as a (partial) substitute to urban transit systems for short distances and as a complement for longer commuting trips made by train. These emerging patterns of commuting require better modal integration between micromobility and public transport, and a more sophisticated design of transport infrastructures