Blocking the sidewalks.

Dockless electric scooters have appeared virtually overnight in dozens of cities.

So far this year, millions of rides were taken on little machines just like this.

And their operators have raised billions in investments.

So if you haven't yet, chances are you're going to see stuff like this pretty soon.

We see the scooters navigating through pedestrians.

We see them being left anywhere.

And this creates problems for a number of people.

Problems indeed.

If people on dockless scooters or bikes keep using the sidewalks … it's going to get

crowded.

the purpose of the sidewalk has changed considerably over the last 100 years.

when cities first started building sidewalks, the reason for them was to accommodate pedestrians

on the street.

But this was not the only use of sidewalks.

A lot of that happens before the automobile.

Here's a street scene from San Francisco in 1906.

Notice the man, holding a baby, just, walking straight through traffic.

Nobody seems too concerned. they are quite relaxed about it and they also know how to

navigate the street.

But, eventually cars got bigger and faster.

Traffic had to separate.

We start seeing with the proliferation of the cars, many many cities start widening

their streets.

and of course this happens at the expense of the sidewalk because a lot of times the

buildings were pretty much set.

So a sidewalk that was 10 — 12 feet becomes 6 — 8 feet.

Which is pretty unfair for pedestrians.

Because there is a lot more happening on sidewalks than walking.

There's the frontage zone

— in cities, a business might put a cafe or signs here.

Then there's the furniture zone, full of streetlights, newspaper racks, and benches.

Because sidewalks have frontage and furniture zones, there's less space to travel than it might seem.

Some vigilantes have taken the space issue into their own hands

And many cities have used pilot programs to really get the scooters

under control.These pilots are likely to extend.

After all, cities need alternative modes of transportation.

First it takes vehicles off the street Because people who might be using ride hail,

or taxis, or another personal vehicle, might instead opt for

this other solution

if a person takes a subway or a bus to a certain station or stop, and they still live a mile

away from that station, they have to figure out how to get there

Even in cities with exceptional levels of public transportation, many residents have

to travel a 'last mile'

If dockless vehicles are deployed in areas like this, residents could have more options

for transportation.

And not just rely on cars.

Because what many people will do is say 'I don't have a last mile option that

works for me.

I'm just going to drive the whole way.

The cash influx for scooter-share is a really a bet.

Investors hope that e-scooters can capture demand in underserved transportation deserts,

without adding congestion

And the scooters might pull that off.

One survey found robust support for e-scooters as a substitute for short driving trips, or

as a complement to public transit.

But the scooters won't work if their riders have to compete for space with pedestrians

and cars.

we're reaching a point in cities across america, where it's time to get people out

of their cars and allow people more modes.

Smaller transportation — bikes, segways, scooters — they only work when cities make

space for them.

Planners can do this by designing 'complete streets'.

So complete streets is a new term that entered the lexicon of planning and transportation

planning relatively recently.

but basically it is inspired by earlier streets where you used to have all these different

uses social uses of the streets and sidewalks not only vehicular users

Complete streets start by reducing the amount of space given to cars.

Making space for protected bus bulbs, wider sidewalks, street level plazas, and buffered

bike lanes.

Scooters will be a more realistic last mile option when cities build networks of complete

streets.

So, worry not, dear pedestrians — even if the scooters are here to stay…

Cities are drafting standards for this brave new world of alternative transportation.

With any luck, the love for scooters just might push cities to invest in safer, more

accomodating streets.

Hi, thanks for watching and a special thanks to the University of California for hitting

the streets to help us make this episode.

They also partnered with us on our Climate Lab series, check out this video about the

environmental effects of online shopping.