Between bike and car: how LEVs are shaping urban mobility

BUas surveyed 2,000 people about their LEV usage. Results show that the electric bike is dominant, while other LEVs like microcars and cargo bikes lag behind. Van de Coevering notes: “In our sample, only a few dozen people use a microcar.”

The LEVERAGE project, led by BUas, focuses on the information needs of governments and market players. Van de Coevering explains: “Before submitting our proposal to NWO, we held sessions with municipalities and shared mobility providers.” These stakeholders want to know how LEVs can be better integrated into the mobility system.

A key finding is that e-scooters and e-bikes do replace car trips, even in medium-sized cities like Breda. Van de Coevering says: “What pleasantly surprised me is that e-scooters and e-bikes actually replace some car trips.”

However, governments remain cautious, mainly due to safety concerns. Van de Coevering explains: “Our infrastructure is dichotomously designed: one lane for cars and one for cyclists. But now there are more vehicles that fall in between.” He highlights speed and mass differences on bike paths, especially with older e-bike users: “Older people have slower reaction times.”

BUas is studying how older cyclists perceive traffic safety. Van de Coevering shares: “We let them be overtaken by a scooter or confront them with an oncoming cargo bike.”

Finally, he advocates for supportive measures, such as better parking: “In Antwerp, for example, you have drop zones. They’re in almost every street.”

Read the full article on Mobiliteit.NL (in Dutch)
Author: Laura Houtenbrink