One major challenge of a public transit system is first- and last-mile (FLM) connectivity. With the advent of smart technology and on-demand transportation services, shared micromobility is believed to provide a low-cost solution for bridging the first- and last-mile gap. However, several studies have arrived at mixed conclusions about the FLM achieved by shared mircomobility. This study explores the causal effect of shared dockless e-scooters on last-mile connectivity to public transit by controlling confounding variables, including built environment and socioeconomic status. The study employs a quasi-experimental design. This study defines last-mile connectivity, here, treatment effect, if e-scooter service areas near rail stations increase metro rail ridership after the introduction of e-scooter service. After matching pairs between treatment and control groups using propensity score matching, we use difference-in-difference regression to examine the causal relationship between shared dockless e-scooter service and ridership changes in public rail transit before and after e-scooter service. The findings indicate that the treatment effect, a higher e-scooter trip density around transit buffer areas, positively impacts monthly rail ridership. In conclusion, planning and transportation agencies can develop street design guidelines or transit-oriented development to encourage the active and safe use of e-scooters, thereby promoting better integration of shared dockless e-scooters with transit systems.

中文翻译：

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发挥共享无桩电动滑板车弥合最后一英里差距的作用：洛杉矶地铁轨道交通的准实验研究


公共交通系统的一个主要挑战是第一英里和最后一英里 (FLM) 连接。随着智能技术和按需交通服务的出现，共享微交通被认为可以提供一种低成本的解决方案，以弥补第一英里和最后一英里的差距。然而，一些研究对于通过共享微移动实现的 FLM 得出了不同的结论。本研究通过控制建筑环境和社会经济状况等混杂变量，探讨共享无桩电动滑板车对公共交通最后一英里连接的因果影响。该研究采用了准实验设计。这项研究定义了最后一英里的连接，即在引入电动滑板车服务后，如果火车站附近的电动滑板车服务区增加了地铁乘客量，则处理效果。使用倾向评分匹配对治疗组和对照组进行配对后，我们使用双重差分回归来检验共享无桩电动滑板车服务与电动滑板车服务前后公共轨道交通客流量变化之间的因果关系。研究结果表明，处理效果（即交通缓冲区周围电动滑板车出行密度较高）对每月铁路乘客量产生了积极影响。总之，规划和交通机构可以制定街道设计指南或以交通为导向的发展，以鼓励电动滑板车的积极和安全使用，从而促进共享无桩电动滑板车与交通系统更好的融合。