Shedding NHTS Light on the Use of "Little Vehicles" in Urban Areas

Abstract

Bicycles, scooters, Segways, skateboards, and more are placing new demands on urban streets in big cities. These modes, termed "little vehicles” (LVs) here, share common characteristics. This research leverages the 2017 National Household Travel Survey to understand and benchmark key characteristics for current users and trip characteristics of LVs. Our findings show that young men are the predominant users of these modes for a wide range of purposes, including recreational and social activities, shopping and errands, and work travel. In the biggest metro areas in the United States, three-quarters of the trips by LVs are less than 4 km (2.5 mi), and half are shorter than 2 km (1.2 mi) (median)—a distance band that is often considered too far to walk, but shorter than most trips currently taken by car.