Shared mobility services operate under varied regulations that are set by different levels of government, carry different compliance and enforcement costs, and may change substantially over time. Despite the important role shared mobility regulations may play in both service success and alignment with broad city goals, no comprehensive understanding exists of how shared mobility regulations are set, by whom, and what elements of service and operation are regulated across modes. This report details regulations across four shared modes: electric bike-share and scooter-share, transportation network companies (TNCs), micro-transit, and shared autonomous vehicles (AVs). The report categorizes regulations by mode, reviews how shared mobility regulations are set, who sets them, and the qualitative costs and benefits regulations yield for different stakeholders.

One-Page Summary Guide

Key findings



The most common shared mobility regulations relate to liability, data sharing and fees, with variation by program and place.



The higher the level of regulation (e.g., state rather than city), the more uniform regulations are across space and program. More localized regulation, by contrast, yields more varied requirements.



Agencies eager for a mobility program to operate may ask for fewer or more lenient requirements or speed up the permitting process. The less a new technology fits into the existing regulatory framework, the more differences we see in how agencies choose to regulate it.



As a mode matures, regulations often mimic the already-tested regulations adopted elsewhere. But programs may still ask for unique requirements that require legal, administrative, and technical resources to comply with

View



View Report PDF



Behind a hard paywall (paid accounts only)



Behind a soft paywall (limited views allowed until a paid account is required)