When we launched White Center — a small community just south of Seattle — last September, it was with only 50 scooters, our smallest fleet in any of the cities where we operate.
With a population of just over 15,000, many of whom regularly commute to its neighbor directly to the north, White Center has been a truly spectacular example of how well-planned micromobility services can help support public transportation networks, and achieve more equitable access to that network.
That was especially true with the recent closure of the West Seattle Bridge, one of White Center’s main connections to its northern neighbor, which carried an average of 100,000 cars, trucks, and buses every day, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation. With that closure, regional traffic was — and continues to be — significantly disrupted, and transit became an even more important option for people commuting in and around Seattle.
Shared micromobility supported local first and last mile connections to King County Metro bus routes like the 131, 128, 120, and 60, which all stop in White Center.
These routes have maintained higher ridership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other routes in the system. To support physical distancing, King County Metro buses currently have a reduced capacity of 12 passengers for 40-foot coaches and 18 passengers for 60-foot coaches, and these routes are among those being considered for additional service due to strong demand they’ve sustained.
Incentives for parking scooters near transit
To help ensure a strong connection with transit, Spin established “Preferred Parking Spots” (PPS) near five bus stops along commuter routes running to downtown Seattle. To further incentivize trips that connect to those commuter routes, and reduce the burden of car traffic with the bridge closure, Spin offers a $1 ride credit for each trip ending in predetermined zones near one of these five locations listed below:
- SW 97th St & 8th Ave SW
- SW 98th St & 15th Ave SW
- SW 102nd St & 8th Ave SW
- 15th Ave SW & SW Roxbury St
- SW 100th St & 15th Ave SW
Despite the small fleet size, we saw some encouraging results in 2020 when analyzing use of our Preferred Parking Spots, potential connections to transit, and commuting patterns. From our launch on September 7 through December 31 of 2020, 50 percent of trips started or ended within 60 feet of a transit stop, which is visualized in the heat map below.
Additionally, 47 percent of trips were taken during peak morning and evening commute times (7am-10am, 4pm-7pm).
“Scooter share programs have brought a new, sustainable mobility option for riders to connect to transit, in an area that has maintained a higher proportion of its transit riders throughout the pandemic,” said Christina O’Claire, King County Metro’s mobility division director.
“King County Metro is excited to see how scooters can continue to support access to transit as more of our riders return in the future,” she said.
Partnerships that advance equity
In White Center, we are also proud to work with the King County Housing Authority, offering residents of Seola Gardens and Greenbridge easy access to our discount program, Spin Access. Through this partnership, we work directly with the Housing Authority to approve their residents for our Spin Access program, removing the requirement for individuals to submit eligibility documentation and wait for verification.
In addition to this partnership with King County Housing Authority, Spin also accepts King County Metro’s ORCA Lift as eligible documentation for our Spin Access program. The result is an easier, more accessible program. These partnerships are part of our larger effort to improve our approach to equity by lowering barriers for those who would benefit from these programs.
Spin is proud to operate in over 80 markets in four countries. And every community where we operate has its own unique set of opportunities and challenges when it comes to transportation, as well as residents and visitors with diverse transportation needs. This includes college campuses, markets where we are the exclusive operator, such as Providence, and large markets such as Chicago, where we operated 3,333 scooters in 2020.
But not every market is Chicago, and smaller markets are just as important. This is especially true of our smallest market, White Center, and the transit and equity programs we’ve established there to demonstrate how shared micromobility can meet White Center residents’ transportation needs.
As we continue to grow globally and look to expand the partnerships and programs which support the diverse needs of each market where we operate, places like White Center are important for us in demonstrating the value that Spin brings in focusing on partnership first, and meeting our riders where they are at with their transportation needs.
