Interviews
We conducted a total of eight interviews with DOTS, UMPD, and community members in order to get more in depth qualitative data on micromobility. Since each party had unique roles in the community, the set of questions that were asked were also tailored to understand different aspects of micromobility from the perspectives of those that knew those aspects the best. These interviews were conducted through email, over the phone, and in person, and the interviewees were not chosen based on any particular criteria.
01
DOTS Interview
The University of Maryland Department of Transportation Services(DOTS) also assisted with the data collection aspect of the project by answering questions about micro-mobility on campus. DOTS in and of itself is responsible for the many modes of transportation on the campus and has seen a surge of popularity with the e-bikes and e-scooters on campus. Students who bring their own bikes, and now their own e-scooters or e-bikes, are required to register with DOTS at the beginning of the semester to keep in contact with them about any changes or updates on campus that could affect their traveling experience. This semester, in the fall of 2022, 67 e-scooters were registered into their system, however, the department is looking to find a way to reach out to the many other students who currently own e-scooters to get them to register with the campus. On top of the 67 registered e-scooters, the university also has a contract with VeoRide to supply e-scooters and e-bikes as a part of their rideshare service. Over the past few years, the number of VeoRide e-scooters and e-bikes has increased, going from a maximum of 290 in the Spring of 2019 to 350 this past Fall. Going forward, DOTS is looking to increase and improve the infrastructure for all micromobility modes of transportation on campus, including more parking stations. On top of that, DOTS is also looking to coordinate with the Facilities Management Department for the updated campus master plan and a viability study for bike lanes on campus.
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The notes we took during the interview can be found here.
02
UMPD Interview
The University of Maryland Police Department was willing to assist with the project and Major Phillip Tou shared his insights over the phone earlier this past October. With many of the questions asked it became apparent that the new modes of transportation on campus including e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-skateboards do not have standard protocols for reporting accidents or enforcing their use on campus. According to Major Tou, every accident on campus is approached the same whether for micromobility or regular vehicles. However, the enforcement of micromobility on campus is much more difficult than enforcement for vehicles due to the fact that not only must the micromobility operator be seen breaking the law but they must also be stopped before they are able to ride away. For an officer in a police car, it is near impossible considering most operators drive on sidewalks at will to get around traffic. This brings up another major point of conversation with Major Tou, all e-scooters and e-bikes must be operated on the road according to the law. On campus, it is clear that this rule is hardly followed and without any effective means of enforcement, it seems that it may stay that way without any serious changes. One method to encourage micromobility users to utilize the roads is to include traffic signage specific to these modes of transportation on the road. Lastly, Major Tou noted that with so many modes of transportation on campus it is hard to separate them, especially with the limited space on campus and with more to be taken away due to construction and the new metro line being built. Major Tou gave us great insight into how the UMPD views the development of micromobility modes of transportation on campus and the challenges the department faces while keeping students, faculty, and visitors safe.
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The notes we took during the interview can be found here.
03
Community Interviews
We interviewed six students, faculty, and staff at UMD to hear their opinions on micromobility. The questions that were asked to students were regarding how they use micromobility on campus, while faculty and staff were asked about their general experiences with navigating through campus with micromobility present. Overall, their responses were similar to the survey responses. Many aired their frustrations with the perceived lack of safety surrounding micromobility usage, especially in regards to pedestrians and other users. One faculty member of the UMD Distance Education and Technology Services unit stated, “I think there's a huge sense of ignorance and entitlement at UMD with micromobility. Growing up I was afraid to get hit. These kids are not. They are completely unsafe and it's alarming. It weighs on the consciences of drivers as well, trying to navigate with the chaos.” Of the students that were interviewed, all of them acknowledged their own unsafe behaviors while using micromobility and their incomprehensive understanding of the rules and regulations. The interviews mainly served as supplementary information to further our understanding of the issues plaguing the community, and the applications of these results were the same as with the survey responses and campus counts.
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The notes we took during the interview can be found here.