E-scooters could help commuters access thousands of jobs across Seattle

A recently-released study claims that e-scooters and e-bikes could provide better access to tens of thousands of jobs for Seattle commuters.

Lime rolls into council meeting with plenty of scooter support

The report comes courtesy of The Micromobility Coalition, that found that on average, Seattle workers live within 45 minutes of 283,000 jobs via transit or walking distance. The study further concludes that Seattle residents would be able to access an additional 90,000 jobs with the aid of micromobility options like e-bikes and electric scooters.

“Increases in job access under the micromobility scenario are widespread,” it reads.

That increase in access to jobs was consistent across all of Seattle’s council districts, with e-bikes and scooters providing access to an additional 200,000 jobs for select homes in some areas. Neighborhoods that would benefit the most from an increase in micromobility options include Georgetown, the University District, and Magnolia, among others.

This comes as White Center rushes to get an e-scooter pilot program on its feet before the end of the year, an area that this study estimates could gain access to 90,000 additional jobs with micromobility options.

E-scooters could arrive in White Center before end of year

White Center’s pilot will run for a full year, with check-ins on the books for the six and nine-month marks to assess milestones and feasibility.

Meanwhile, Seattle continues to try to figure out its own e-scooter pilot. Mayor Jenny Durkan has said she supports allowing scooters in the city at some point, but she wants to “do it right.” Most estimates have electric scootershares arriving in Seattle by early-to-mid 2020, at the earliest.

When electric scooters finally do arrive in Seattle, it could help speed up commutes across the city if this study proves accurate.

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