Research Statement
Research Background
Over the last few years, I've observed that shared micromobility was quickly growing in size and became one of the trends around the world. It refers to the shared use of light vehicles, such as scooters, bikes, and mopeds. There are many micromobility services in major cities like San Francisco, Chicago, to name a few (See Figure 1 and 2). In response to the limitation of public transportation and the increasing mobility demands, shared mobility fills the gap between personal and public transportation modes, and improves the quality, flexibility, and sustainability through the service process (Inturri, et al., 2019)
Figure 1: Lime shared scooters in San Francisco, CA
Figure 2: VeoRide shared moped in Chicago, IL
Source: https://www.veoride.com/
People can use shared light vehicles, including docked and dockless types, as a means for short-distance mobility anywhere and anytime (Heineke, Kloss, Scurtu, & Weig, 2019). While within a short distance, it replaces not only cars and motorcycles increasing air pollution and carbon emissions, but also replaces walking that consumes time and dissipates energy. Therefore, I believe that shared micromobility is the key to completing transportation systems sustainably and conveniently.
Problems
Tourism development often gives a boost to the economic growth for a country, which increases not only local prosperity and employment opportunities but also increases international reputation and sums of foreign exchange. However, most tourist destinations all over the world have a common problem for tourists: transportation. For tourists relying on public transportation, timetables might limit their flexibility of the itinerary. Additionally, it’s hard to obtain and return rental vehicles anywhere and anytime. Some tourists choose to travel by car, it might cause traffic congestion, parking problems, even air pollution within areas, bothering both residents and tourists. Some places have specific considerations that lead to inconvenience for tourists. For instance, many national parks require visitors to park their cars in parking lots that far from spots to manage and conserve the environment. Therefore, these additional time and energy consumption during traveling may considerably lower tourist experience and satisfaction.
Solutions
Applying the concept of shared micromobility into tourism transportation could be an excellent solution because it fills the gap of the last mile for public transit, and makes it easier for tourists to get around back and forth between spots. Tourists who depend on public transport can feel free to change where to visit according to the situation and forget about the bus or train timetable. For those who drive, they can enjoy the journey of exploring and get rid of the traffic and parking problem. The application of shared micromobility and tourism transportation provides a welcoming environment for tourists, allowing them to spend their time and energy touring around destinations rather than wasting on transport. It not only elevates tourist experience and increases their satisfaction, but also reduce carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly travel style, just like a win-win situation.
Research Intent
The study aims to investigate tourists' needs, preferences, and expectations for sightseeing shared micromobility based on different environmental characteristics, and analyze service design (e.g., user journey map, touchpoints). Finally, summarize the collected factors and formulate design guidelines for sightseeing shared light vehicles.
Contributions
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Exploring possibilities and opportunities for transportation design.
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Enhancing tourist experience and satisfaction.
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Promoting tourism industry and the advantage of the nation.
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Reflecting the value of sustainable development.
Reference
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Inturri, G., Pira, M. L., Giuffrida, N., Ignaccolo, M., Pluchino, A., Rapisarda, A., D'Angelo, R. (2019). Multi-agent simulation for planning and designing new shared mobility services. Research in Transportation Economics, 73, 34-44.
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Heineke, K., Kloss, B., Scurtu, D., & Weig, F. (2019). Micromobility’s 15,000-mile checkup. Retrieved from McKinsey & Company Automotive & Assembly: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-andassembly/ourinsights/micromobilitys-15000-mile-checkup.
