The below post is from the desk of Anne Brask, an Urban Planner (who used to be) on Uber’s in-house Urban Planning team. Small, but mighty, we leveraged public, geographic data with subject matter expertise on how JUMP’s services work in and impact city streets and the built environment. (2020)

This was written prior to the lay-offs and dissolve of JUMP Bikes as a result of Covid-19 impacts. So, the future looks a lot different now.

In the midst of global upheaval, we all have an opportunity to reimagine our streets. And we know we can do it fast: Cities across the globe are quickly acting on policies, open streets, and temporary bike lanes to expand options for walking and cycling during social distancing in the short term. 

In the long run, this pandemic highlights the dire need for more outdoor space in urban areas, as we see overwhelming pressure on our far-too-few public spaces. We’re also learning how air quality rebounds after radically reduced pollution. Post-Covid, we can expect that micro-mobility riders will be back stronger than ever and our streets will need to permanently change to support them. So what does the future of streetscapes look like and where does micro-mobility fit in? Below is a start of that urban design vision, focused on four different priorities. 

How do we get there and what is JUMP’s role?

1. Safe Infrastructure

Advocating for protective infrastructure is one of JUMP’s priorities to ensure we help keep riders safe. Uber has already partnered with the League of American Bicyclists, PeopleForBikes, and the North American Bikeshare Association to collaborate on safety and advancing nationwide legislation.

JUMP is also actively working with cities to analyze streets with a high density of JUMP trips, a gap analysis of existing bicycle infrastructure, and propose locations for new bicycle infrastructure to further network connectivity throughout a city. We look forward to partnering with cities to create pop-up cycle tracks and temporary lanes as a nimble solution for encouraging safety and using sustainable transportation. 

3. Better Public Realms

Car free streets, alleys, and mid-blocks with programming such as bike share, seating, and landscaping allow for more livable cities and active public realms that serve high pedestrian volumes, as Covid-19 responses have further revealed. 

4.The Most Sustainable Modes

Streets and curbs should prioritize the highest and most efficient use of space. By stacking different modes of shared transportation, cities can provide many options for getting around that are alternatives to a private vehicle. Transit should be prioritized and pick-up/drop-off areas should be clearly marked to avoid double parking and potential slow downs to buses.

A Closer Look at Parking

Parking is one of the biggest challenges cities face with micro-mobility. But, we often hear from policymakers that the lack of ridership data is one of the key elements in how private companies can help City officials make informed decisions. Even markets with trip data via API or MDS have asked us to further process this trip information to provide valuable insights.

Tailored Solutions 

We understand that all cities don’t look the same or experience the same challenges In high-density neighborhoods where there is more competition for curb space, physically demarcated hubs remain a best practice for keeping bikes and scooters safe and orderly. In order to help riders and provide enough space for parking, cities and micro-mobility providers should consider parking areas on every block in high-density neighborhoods and commercial corridors. Seattle is already recommending this type of approach.

In mixed-use and medium density neighborhoods, prioritizing parking at existing bike racks or incentivizing parking zones may be more appropriate; where in low-density neighborhoods our parking strategy may be able to sustain more free-floating methods to provide riders with flexibility in starting and ending trips where there is less pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Progress on the streets

In-app Incentives: JUMP connects the digital and physical world in our app for riders using tools like Incentivized Parking Zones, No Parking Zones, and Suggested Parking Zones (i.e. at bike racks and drop zones). 

Data-driven recommendations: Our in-house Urban Planning team uses a combination of ridership data and public data (such as population density) to recommend parking locations in collaboration with JUMP city partners. This analysis recommends safe bicycle infrastructure and parking in strategic locations to best serve our riders and the general public. 

For the City of Paris, our team took this a step further in conducting a gap analysis around where Paris’ existing bike parking is located. By understanding where there is a lack of parking, we can overlap this data with high density trip ends to show locations where parking infrastructure is most needed. We’ve conducted parking infrastructure analyses in 15+ cities, from Washington D.C. to Melbourne to Lisbon. We’re eager to help cities leverage data to re-allocate space formerly used by private cars. 

Bike racks work: JUMP has already installed over 3,000 bike racks in partnership with cities including New Orleans, Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Providence. It’s no surprise that the speed at which micro-mobility is adopted is quicker than the speed that Cities can install infrastructure. We are committed to finding the right solution to keep sidewalks safe, and that may include installing physical racks to provide the supply for riders to park. 

Power of Paint: JUMP recommended parking locations for Berlin and Mexico City, and in June riders will be able to park in these painted parking zones.

Crisis can lead to metamorphosis — if we have the determination to meet the challenge. Moving forward, and into recovery from Covid-19, we’re eager to continue working with cities and pushing ourselves to think about the future of streetscapes holistically: from Uber Eats delivery, to pick-up/drop-off zones, transit, and new mobility. There is also a tremendous opportunity for Uber to shift modes from private vehicles to scooters and bikes. The future will include customizable approaches and close partnerships to reach our goals in prioritizing space for people on our streets and decreasing private vehicle usage and greenhouse gas emissions.